Illinois: Gateway to the American West in Story and Song

Rick Pickren

Rick Pickren holds a BA degree in Music and Musicology and a MA in Acting/Directing from the University of Michigan. A direct descendant of Buffalo Bill Cody, he travels the Midwest performing his critically acclaimed programs, "Songs From The Lonesome Prairie" and "Songs From The Steel Rails". Rick is a two-time winner of the Marlboro Country Music Round Up and has shared the stage with music greats like Merle Haggard, The Judds, Steve Earle, B.J. Thomas, and cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell. As an actor, Rick has appeared in feature films and on television in, "Major League," "U.S. Marshals," "ER," and "Early Edition."

Illinois: Gateway to the American West in Story and Song

Using historical anecdotes, traditional and original songs accompanied on guitar, banjo, and harmonica, Rick Pickren examines the key role that Illinois played in the development of American western history, culture, and myth from 1850-1950. From Illinoisans Wild Bill Hickok, Black Hawk, Wyatt Earp, Joseph Glidden, and Buffalo Bill Cody, who began his career in Chicago in 1872, to the halcyon days of the WLS Barn Dance with Lulu Belle, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Rex Allen, this program weaves a tapestry of history and song into an entertaining and edifying hour-long excursion through the history of Illinois and the American West.

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