Red Steagall
Russell "Red" Steagall (born December 22, 1937) is an American cowboy poet, country music singer-songwriter, actor, and radio/television host renowned for preserving Western heritage through his multifaceted career spanning over six decades.[1] Born in Gainesville, Texas, Steagall grew up in the Texas Panhandle after his family relocated when he was three years old, where his father worked on a large ranch; he contracted polio in 1954, which paralyzed his left arm and ended his aspirations for a football scholarship and veterinary studies at Texas A&M University.[2][3] Instead, he pursued higher education, graduating from West Texas A&M University (formerly West Texas State) with a degree in Animal Science and Agronomy, initially working in agricultural chemistry before transitioning to the entertainment industry.[4][5] Steagall's music career, rooted in Texas swing and cowboy themes, includes recording 26 consecutive charting singles and over 25 albums, with notable hits like "Here We Go Again" (co-written and Grammy-winning in 2005) and compositions exceeding 200 in total; he has performed internationally for the U.S. Information Agency and entertained heads of state.[5][4][6] In acting, he appeared in films such as Vanishing Point (1971), Benji the Hunted (1987), and Abilene (1995), and produced Big Bad John (1990).[7][5] As a poet, Steagall was named the Official Cowboy Poet of Texas in 1991 and Texas Poet Laureate in 2006, authoring books including Ride for the Brand (1993) and The Fence That Me and Shorty Built (2001); he hosts the syndicated radio show Cowboy Corner (since 1994) and the television program Somewhere West of Wall Street on RFD-TV, while organizing the annual Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering since 1991 to celebrate Western culture.[6][5][4] His contributions have earned numerous accolades, such as induction into the Hall of Great Westerners (2003), Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame (2004), and Western Music Association Hall of Fame (2006), along with nine Wrangler Awards from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the Boss of the Plains Award (2012), including the Pioneer Award from the ProRodeo Hall of Fame (2025) and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Western Artists (2025); Steagall maintains ranches near Fort Worth, Texas, embodying the cowboy lifestyle he champions.[4][5][1][8][9]Early Life
Childhood and Family
Russell Steagall, known professionally as Red Steagall, was born on December 22, 1938, in Gainesville, Texas, to George Russell Steagall and Ruth Steagall.[2][10] As the eldest of six children in a family deeply rooted in ranching traditions, Steagall grew up surrounded by the rhythms of agricultural life and Western culture along the Texas High Plains.[10] His parents, with George working various jobs including for an oil company and on ranches, instilled an early appreciation for the cowboy way of life through their involvement in local ranching communities.[2] At the age of three, Steagall's family relocated approximately 300 miles northwest to the small town of Sanford in the Texas Panhandle, where they settled into the rugged countryside near the Canadian River.[2][11] He later described this period of his childhood as "idyllic," marked by outdoor adventures on borrowed horses, collecting bottles for pocket money, and immersion in the agricultural and ranching environment of the High Plains.[11] The family's proximity to working ranches exposed young Steagall to the traditions of cattle herding and rural self-reliance, shaping his lifelong connection to Western heritage.[10] In September 1954, at age 15, Steagall contracted polio, which severely weakened his left arm and hand, destroying the deltoid muscle in his shoulder and confining him to an iron lung during hospitalization.[11][10] As part of his physical therapy, his mother Ruth purchased a secondhand mandolin for $10 to help rebuild strength and dexterity in his fingers, followed by a guitar upon his high school graduation; these instruments not only aided his recovery but also ignited his passion for music.[2][11] The family's encouragement, particularly through Ruth's support of music as therapy amid their own challenges, further nurtured Steagall's early interests in Western swing music and rodeo entertainment.[10] This foundation propelled him toward rodeo participation as a teenager.[2]Education and Rodeo Beginnings
Steagall developed an early passion for rodeo during his teenage years, beginning as a bull rider in local competitions despite contracting polio at age 15, an experience that motivated his recovery through demanding physical pursuits like bull riding.[12] In high school, he balanced participation in football with rodeo events, honing his skills as a competitive bull rider in West Texas arenas.[13] In 1954, Steagall was offered a football scholarship to Texas A&M University with intentions to study veterinary medicine, but polio prevented his attendance.[10] Following high school, he instead pursued a formal education in agriculture, enrolling at West Texas A&M University where he earned a degree in Animal Science and Agronomy.[14] During his college years, he continued his rodeo involvement, competing as a bull rider and even forming a band to cover tuition and entry fees for events.[8] After graduating around 1960, Steagall entered the workforce in agricultural chemistry, spending five years as a salesman traveling across the American West to promote ranching-related products and chemicals.[2] This period solidified his practical knowledge of agronomy and animal husbandry, drawing directly from his academic background.[4] In a nod to his roots, Steagall featured a segment on the December 28, 1974, episode of Hee Haw (season six, episode 16) saluting his hometown of Sanford, Texas, then a small ranching community with a population of 181.Music Career
Songwriting and Industry Executive
Steagall's transition from rodeo and agricultural pursuits to the music industry occurred in the early 1960s, when he relocated to California to focus on songwriting and artist development. After earning a degree in animal science and working as an agricultural chemist, he leveraged his background in ranching and rodeo performances to connect with music professionals, marking his initial foray into promotion and talent scouting during the 1960s and 1970s.[2] A pivotal moment in his songwriting career came in 1966, when Steagall co-authored "Here We Go Again" with Don Lanier; the track was notably recorded by Ray Charles and released in 1967, becoming a rhythm and blues hit that peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the R&B charts, while establishing itself as a country music standard covered by numerous artists.[15][16] Steagall served eight years as a music industry executive in Hollywood, where he played a key role in artist discovery and development, including spotting Reba McEntire while she performed the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City on December 10, 1974. Impressed by her talent, he facilitated her move to Nashville and secured her signing with Mercury Records in November 1975, paving the way for her self-titled debut album released on August 15, 1977.[5][17][18]Recording and Performance Achievements
In the 1970s, Red Steagall transitioned to a full-time focus on Western music, drawing heavily on cowboy themes and ranch life to distinguish his sound from mainstream country. This shift was marked by recordings that incorporated storytelling elements inspired by his experiences on the range, moving away from his earlier pop-country leanings toward a more authentic portrayal of Western heritage.[19] Steagall achieved notable chart success during this period, with singles like "Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music" reaching No. 11 on the US Country chart in 1976, celebrating Texas culture and Western swing influences. His performances further solidified his reputation, including numerous appearances at major rodeos such as the National Finals Rodeo, where he entertained audiences with horseback entries and sets blending country, Western swing, and poetic recitations. Over his career, he completed more than 100 major rodeo and fair performances, establishing a distinctive Western music style that integrated narrative poetry with traditional instrumentation.[20][6] Early albums like Party Dolls and Wine (1972) showcased his initial foray into honky-tonk and swing-infused country, while later works such as Wagon Tracks (2002) reflected a thematic evolution toward tributes to ranching and frontier journeys, featuring original songs about immigrant trails and cowboy endurance. Steagall's recordings earned critical recognition, including nine Wrangler Awards from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for outstanding Western music contributions, highlighting his enduring impact on the genre.[21][22][4]Studio Albums
Red Steagall released numerous studio albums throughout his career, primarily in the country and western genres, spanning from 1972 to 2019. The following table lists his main studio albums, including release years and labels.[23][24]| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Party Dolls and Wine | Capitol |
| 1973 | Somewhere My Love | Capitol |
| 1973 | If You've Got the Time, I've Got the Song | Capitol |
| 1974 | Finer Things in Life | Capitol |
| 1976 | Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music | Dot |
| 1976 | Texas Red | Dot |
| 1977 | For All Our Cowboy Friends | Dot |
| 1978 | Hang On Feelin' | Dot |
| 1979 | It's Our Life (A Tribute to North American Farmers & Ranchers) | Tractor |
| 1982 | Cowboy Favorites | Delta |
| 1986 | Red Steagall | Dot (MCA) |
| 1993 | Born to This Land | Warner Western |
| 1995 | Faith and Values | Warner Western |
| 1996 | Cowboy Code | Eagle |
| 1997 | Dear Mama, I'm a Cowboy | Warner Western |
| 1999 | Love of the West | Warner Western |
| 2002 | Wagon Tracks | Shanachie |
| 2006 | The Wind, the Wire and the Rail | Wildcatter |
| 2007 | Here We Go Again (reissue/compilation elements) | Wildcatter |
| 2008 | A Cow Camp Christmas | Bunkhouse Press |
| 2011 | Dreamin' of... When the Grass Was Still Deep | Bunkhouse Press |
| 2019 | Hats Off to the Cowboy | Bunkhouse Press |
Singles
Steagall charted several singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart between 1972 and 1980, with peaks reflecting his commercial success during that period. The table below details select charted singles, including titles, years, peak positions on the US Country chart, and labels where available. No Canadian Country chart entries were noted for these releases.[25][23]| Year | Title | Peak Position (US Country) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Party Dolls and Wine | 5 | Capitol |
| 1972 | Somewhere My Love | 3 | Capitol |
| 1973 | True Love | 51 | Capitol |
| 1973 | The Fiddle Man | 87 | Capitol |
| 1974 | This Just Ain't My Day (For Lettin' Darlin' Down) | 93 | Capitol |
| 1974 | I Gave Up Good Mornin' Darling | 54 | Capitol |
| 1974 | Finer Things in Life | 52 | Capitol |
| 1974 | Someone Cares for You | 2 | Capitol |
| 1975 | She Worshipped Me | 62 | Capitol |
| 1976 | Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music | 11 | Dot |
| 1976 | Truck Drivin' Man | 29 | Dot |
| 1976 | Her L-O-V-E's Gone | 59 | Dot |
| 1977 | I Left My Heart in San Francisco | 53 | Dot |
| 1977 | Freckles Brown | 90 | Dot |
| 1978 | Hang On Feelin' | 63 | Dot |
| 1979 | 3 Chord Country Song | 31 | Elektra |
| 1980 | Love's Gonna Get You Someday | 30 | Elektra |