Cheyenne & CFD Big Topics in Country Western Music

When it comes to who made what famous, one could say Cheyenne, Wyoming, was made famous by the many songwriters who put the capital of Equality State in their songs. On the flip side, one could argue some of those songs were famous because of Cheyenne’s pre-existing fame, especially pertaining to rodeo.

For starters, two of the most beloved country artists of all time, Garth Brooks and George Strait, had hit country songs within a year of one another – “The Beaches of Cheyenne” by Brooks and “I Can Still Make Cheyenne” by Straight were both Top 5 hits in 1995-96. Both refer to rodeo in Cheyenne, most likely Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Wyoming country music legend Chris LeDoux released two hit songs, “Photo Finish” (1973) and “It Ain’t The Years, It’s the Miles,” (1983) that mention both Cheyenne and the rodeo there (most definitely CFD). Several other artists, from Eric Church to Aaron Watson, have given shoutouts to Cheyenne, with most of them referring to the legendary rodeo, or at least its Western roots.

Cheyenne and its most famous rodeo have been name-checked in songs by artists Garth Brooks, George Strait, Chris LeDoux and more. Photo courtesy of Visit Cheyenne

For more information on Cheyenne, visit Cheyenne.org.