On a recent trip to Laramie for supplies for his North Park, Colo. ranch Michael Martin Murphy noticed "Cowboy Culture" signs around town and he thought to himself, "Man, I moved to the right place."
Murphey will be performing a benefit concert for the Battle Pass Scenic Byway Aug. 28 at the Platte Valley Community Center.
The show will be a storytelling oriented, solo acoustic performance featuring a retrospective of Murphey's songwriting over the years. Murphey said the first half of the show will focus on his pop and country songs and the second half will be centered on his cowboy songs.
Calling it the "Lone Cowboy Campfire", Murphy said it will be, "an autobiographical experience of living in the west from a cowboy perspective."
Murphey has a lot invested in the history of the west and the cowboy way of life. It is the focus of many of his songs and he even started a non-profit called the Murphey Western Institute which, "supports the preservation and perpetuation of the American west culture," Murphey said.
Murphey met John Farr, now President of the Battle Pass Scenic Byway Alliance, when Farr was a columnist for a Summit County, Colo., newspaper. It was the late 1970s and Murphey was hosting a yearly music festival at Copper Mountain.
Murphey credits Farr with getting him into service clubs outside the church. "John has always been a servant to his community," Murphey said. Through Farr's encouragement Murphey became heavily involved with the Rotary Club and was even made a Paul Harris Fellow.
Lately Murphey has been splitting his time between Texas, New Mexico and North Park, Colo. He said that when he moved to North Park, Farr called him up and told him about the need for more interpretive signs on Battle Pass and the lack of funding available. Farr wondered if Murphey would be willing to perform a benefit concert somewhere.
Murphey replied, "Let's cowboy up and do it right here in Wyoming."
With six gold albums, a grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album of the Year, inductions into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and Western Music Association Hall of Fame as just some of his awards Murphey is in the top tier of musicians in the country.
Those who purchase VIP tickets will be treated to a pre-show meet and greet with Murphey and a a taste of award winning barbecue. Murphey said his schedule rarely allows him to meet his fans before a show but, "when John is cooking barbecue, I'll be there before the show."
As an added bonus Murphey will have compact discs of his biggest selling album, Cowboy Songs, Vol. I, available at the show. The album has only been available via download for the last four years, something which has disappointed Murphey who remembers a time when an album was something you could hold in your hands.
The benefit concert will begin at 7 p.m. with general admission tickets for $25 and VIP tickets for $100.
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