Society Hall features a night of award-winning cowboy poetry and music

Society Hall will present cowboy music and poetry this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Courtesy photo.

Society Hall, at 400 Ross Avenue in Alamosa, is excited to feature four different award-winning performers of western songs and poetry, Saturday May 25th at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm with the show beginning at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20.00 and are available online at www.societyhall.org and in Alamosa at The Green Spot, 711 State Ave. The concert will also stream live on both the Society Hall Facebook page and You-Tube channel.

Performing will be Doug Figgs, of Lemitar, NM, with his fine western songs, cowboy poets Floyd and Valerie Beard, of Kim, Colorado, and music and poetry from Dennis and Beverly Russell, aka The Russellers, from Redwing, Colorado.

Doug Figgs is an AFA certified journeyman farrier, a working cowboy, and a multiple award- winning Western music singer/songwriter. He has performed his music all over the west and continues to turn out his own variety of Western music – from hard driving songs with a tinge of Southern rock, to beautiful ballads and everything in between.

Floyd Beard lives twelve cattle guards from the pavement near Kim, Colorado. He and his wife, Valerie, run cattle with their daughter and son-in-law. A good day involves getting up before the sun is "pinking up the east", riding, working cattle, and settling down on the porch to watch the sunset.

Floyd is an award -winning poet and has been writing and rhyming for over 30 years. He is the 2016, 2017, and 2021 International Western Music Association's Male Poet of the Year. His most recent CD, "Horse Tales and Cow Trails" also won the IWMA's 2021 Cowboy Poetry CD of the Year. Most of his original poetry is written about his observations while working on the ranch.

Valerie Beard is a rancher's wife, teacher, writer, crew cook, quilter and reader. She and her husband Floyd live outside of Kim in southeastern Colorado and run cattle with their daughter and son-in-law. They keep a few Border Collies around to stay humble.

Valerie recently released her first poetry CD, "No Better Life," with the help of Jean Prescott on vocals and Dale Burson on vocals and instrumentation. She was honored to be a top five finalist for IWMA Female Poet of the Year in 2019 and 2021.

The Russellers are Dennis Russell, poet and songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Beverly Gray Russell, best known for her beautiful mastery of the musical saw. They share their original music and poetry that depict their ranching lifestyle on the beautiful Huerfano River outside of Redwing in southern Colorado as well as covering traditional stories and songs at campfires, gatherings and house concerts in family friendly entertainment. Dennis is founder of the Cimarron Cowboy Music and Poetry Gathering and happy to be the emcee of any western event. You can often find Beverly showing kids, parents, and grand parents alike how her magical musical saw works.

The board of Society Hall invites all to come join them for a fabulous evening of cowboy music and poetry, celebrating our shared western heritage on Saturday, May 25th 2024, at 7:30! Doors open at 6:30. Society Hall – where community celebrates!