Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy
a magazine created by Karen Cotton
Ned LeDoux and Western Underground open for Toby Keith at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Night Show July 27. Appearing for the second time at CFD. Ned is son of the late and great Chris LeDoux. Chris was a rodeo cowboy who competed at CFD and also performed as a country and western musician multiple times. Western Underground started out as Chris LeDoux’s band.
Radio DJ and musician Bobby Jones and his band perform for the first time at Cheyenne Frontier Days opening for Toby Keith. July 27 2018.
Story by Sheila Loney
Cheyenne Frontier Nights weather did not disappoint again this year. The rain made its annual appearance before Charlie Daniels took to the stage and stayed for most of the night’s show. The crowd did not let the weather dampen their spirits.
Tracy Lawrence came out and the crowd was pumped from the beginning. He sang all of his greatest hits including “Texas Tornado”, “Alibis”, “Sticks and Stones” and “Time Marches On”. The excitement of the crowd could be felt as they sang along with him.
The 81 year old legend, Charlie Daniels, then took to the stage. The crowd did not wain in their excitement. He sang most of his greatest hits including, “Long Haired Country Boy”, “Simple Man” and “Legend of Wooley Swamp”. He dedicated his song “In America” to our military and first responders. He had his band take over with a rocking instrumental where the drummer had a long solo before he closed out the show with everyone’s favorite “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, I would have to say, this 81 year old still has the energy to put on one great show.
For photos of the night’s show, please click on the slideshows below.
For more information about Charlie’s and Tracy’s music and tour schedule please visit their websites at the following links.
https://www.charliedaniels.com/
Photos by, Karen Cotton and Sheila Loney
Photos and story by Sheila Loney.
Michael Ray christened Cheyenne Frontier Nights as the opening artist for Florida Georgia Line. I had the pleasure of photographing the county western singer and songwriter. Michael and his band are true showmen. His country music hits with a hint of rock music. His song, “Kiss You in the Morning” reached number 1 on Country Airplay.
Michael has teamed up with Zappos for Good. They have designed a one-of-a-kind sneaker. Proceeds from sales of the “Wrigley Cares Limited-Edition Puma Classic Suede” The money raised will help Ray’s charitable initiative, Wrigley Cares: Helping Animals in need.
To learn more about his tour dates and his Wrigley Cares initiative please visit his website.
Official Michael Ray website http://www.michaelraymusic.com/
A Q and A with Caleb Johnson of Fate Under Fire, a band based in Sacramento, California.
For more information about the band you can go to their website: https://www.fufmusic.com/
or go to their FaceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/FateUnderFire/
Here’s their new music video for “RIVER”
Story by Karen Cotton
Q : How did you first become a member of Fate Under Fire ?
Johnson:
“That’s kind of a funny story, I originally became a member of Fate Under Fire by a simple email. I was a fan of the band before hand and I emailed the band asking if they needed a guitar player or knew of anyone who needed a guitar player. I got an email back saying they did not need a guitar player. The next day I got another email back saying the lead guitarist in the band had just left the band because he was getting married and didn’t want to tour anymore. One thing led to another and here I am.”
Q: What do you enjoy the most about playing music?
Q: What do you like about being a member of Fate Under Fire?
Q: Can you tell me about the newest song that was just released on February 15th, “River?”
Q: What is the band’s goal in 2018?
Q: How long have you been playing the guitar and how old are you now?
” I have been playing guitar for around 5-6 years now and I am 17.”
Q: What made you pick up a guitar in the first place?
“I’ve always wanted to play guitar, growing up as a kid I would play Guitar Hero all the time and I would mess around on a little guitar my parents bought from Target. But the two things that really pushed me into playing the guitar was my cousin and trying to impress a girl that I liked.”
Q: Do you help the band leader, David, songwrite?
Q: How would you describe the sound of Fate Under Fire ? What are the band’s influences?
Johnson:
“Fate Under Fire is a alternative rock/pop band. I think we sound similar to One Republic and Imagine Dragons.”
Continue reading “Fate Under Fire interview with Caleb Johnson”
Fate Under Fire interviews coming soon on Sweet as Cotton Candy with Caleb Johnson and David James !
Their official website is: https://www.fufmusic.com/
Fate Under Fire is releasing a new single, “River” on February 15th.
You can hear their music here:
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/fate-under-fire/319935722
“A Sacramento-based band headed by David James, and is launching it’s next single “Parachute”. Their upcoming release is on the heels of the success of their last EP titled “What Dreams Are Made Of”, whose songs landed multiple film and TV placements. The band won the MTVu Freshman Five competition, and the music video for nationally acclaimed single, “On The Water”. “On The Water” is one song that has landed in countless commercials, cable and tv networks including AT&T’s “The Mobile Movement” ad campaign and was the theme song for ‘All In With Laila Ali’, which aired nationally on CBS. Other songs placements have included Cougar Town, Billabong, Netflix, and Raw Travel.
The new single “Parachute” comes with a music video directed and shot by David James. The video touches on the unfortunate recent string of suicides made public from rockstars like Chester Bennington of Linkin Park and Chris Cornell. Growing up, David was raised by a manic depressive single mother where suicide was a recurring topic. He himself was diagnosed with depression and was on Prozac in high school and still struggles occasionally with it. By a stroke of fate, when searching for actors, he found Mac Guerriero. Mac played a role in the recent Netflix original hit series “13 Reasons Why”. FUF is teaming up with AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) and is putting on a benefit show September 1st.
More recently, after hearing FUF’s new unreleased material, NBC commissioned David to write a theme song for Sunday’s “The Today Show” currently in rotation. Summer 2017 Fate Under Fire continues releasing new covers and music videos, live streaming , and touring the west coast.”
There was so much to do and see at the Laramie County Fair that happened in Cheyenne, Wyoming at Frontier Park. The fair is taking place through August 12th.
We visited the craft table in the Frontier Park Exhibition Hall where volunteer, Jennifer Mullin, was helping children build their craft of choice. The fun part is the crafts are free, with possible donation. Kids made butterflies out of pipe cleaners and tissue paper, beaded necklaces and bracelets, and other fun things. The Exhibition Hall has all kinds of art, quilts, embroidery, cross stitch, fiber art, cakes, pies to see. Many Laramie County participants have been awarded ribbons. Organizations like the Lion’s Club, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Department, the Laramie County Cooperative Extension and the Cheyenne Heritage Quilter Association have information booths at the fair. The Lion’s Club sold solar eclipse viewing glasses for under five dollars there. You can buy a raffle ticket for a dollar at the quilter’s booth to possibly win a gorgeous quilt. There is free popcorn, tea and coffee at the entrance of the Exhibition Hall.
Food booths were found around the park. These booth were in the area by the Frontier Park grandstands, in the Exhibition Hall and near the livestock barns. The barns are where all of the 4-H and FFA animals are kept and shown by their proud owners. Some of the animals can be touched if the owners are there and allow it. The food ranges from two dollar cotton candy on a stick to funnel cakes and tropical desserts to BBQ favorites.
We rode a tractor with rainbow colored seats from the Exhibition Hall area to the livestock barns. It was fun watching the 4-H and FFA children get their animals ready to be shown. One young lady was even using hair spray on her cow’s fur to make it look poofy and beautiful. There were sheep, cows, pigs, and other animals to be seen. Another woman let my daughter pet her sheep as she held it. The4-H rabbits can be seen under the grandstands near the Exhibition Hall, where you’d normally find vendors during Cheyenne Frontier Days. Because there’s nothing cuter than a fluffy bunny!
There were inflatable bouncy castles and slides. There were also floating bubbles that your kids older can roll around in around a small inflatable pool. It looked like tons of fun!
We wore cowboy boots, and discovered when one of us wore sandals, you shouldn’t out at the Laramie County Fair, if you happen to go in 2018. Just trust us on this one.
For the full 2017 schedule go to: http://www.laramiecountyfair.com/
Country superstar Jason Aldean and special guest Casey Donahew performed at Cheyenne Frontier Days 2017. Here are some of our Night Show photos. You can see Aldean again in September in Wyoming’s neighboring state, Colorado. Links are below. Story to come soon!
Learn all about Casey Donahew here: http://www.caseydonahew.com/
For you guitar playing Casey Donahew fans here is a guitar tab link for you:
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/c/casey_donahew_band/new_orleans_crd.htm
Jason Aldean’s official website is:http://www.jasonaldean.com
Jason is doing something very nice for breast cancer survivors enter his VIP experience with an essay here:
http://ww5.komen.org/Jason-Aldean/
Fans saw Aldean again, in the Northern Colorado area. Aldean performed his “They Don’t Know Tour” with special guests Chris Young, Kane Brown and DeeJay Silver at the Pepsi Center on Friday, September 15, 2017.
The doors opened at 6:30 p.m. and the show started at 7:30 p.m. Tickets ranged in price from $40 to $80.25.
For Jason Aldean fans, who followed his wife’s pregnancy updates on Instagram, here was an update from 2017 from another great magazine, Taste of Country:
Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy 