LeDoux was born in Biloxi, Mississippi on October 2, 1948. He was of French descent on his father's side. His father was in the US Air Force and was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base at the time of his birth. The family moved often when he was a child, due to his father's Air Force career. He learned to ride horses while visiting his grandparents on their Wyoming farm. At age 13, LeDoux participated in his first rodeo, and before long was winning junior rodeo competitions.
LeDoux continued to compete in rodeo events and played football through his high school years. When his family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, he attended Cheyenne Central High School. After twice winning the Wyoming State Rodeo Championship bareback riding title during high school, LeDoux earned a rodeo scholarship to Casper College in Casper. During his junior year at Eastern New Mexico University, LeDoux won the Intercollegiate National bareback riding Championship.
LeDoux married Peggy Rhoads on January 4, 1972. They had five children: Clay, Ned, Will, Beau, and Cindy.
In 1970, LeDoux became a professional rodeo cowboy on the national circuit. To help pay his expenses while traveling the country, he began composing songs describing his lifestyle. Within two years, he had written enough songs to make up an album, and soon established a recording company, American Cowboy Songs, with his father. After recording his songs in a friend's basement, LeDoux "began selling his tapes at rodeo events out of the back of his pickup truck".
In 1976 LeDoux won the world bareback riding championship at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. Winning the championship gave LeDoux more credibility with music audiences, as he now had proof that the cowboy songs he wrote were authentic. LeDoux continued competing for the next four years. He retired in 1980. With his rodeo career at an end, LeDoux and his family settled on a ranch in Kaycee, Wyoming. LeDoux continued to write and record his songs, and began playing concerts. His concerts were very popular, and often featured a mechanical bull (which he rode between songs) and fireworks. By 1982 he had sold more than 250,000 copies of his albums, with little or no marketing. By the end of the decade he had self-released 22 albums.
Despite offers from various record labels, LeDoux refused to sign a recording contract, instead choosing to retain his independence and control over his work while enjoying his regional following. In 1989, however, he shot to national prominence when he was mentioned in Garth Brooks' Top 10 country hit "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)." Capitalizing on the sudden attention, LeDoux signed a contract with Capitol Records subsidiary Liberty Records and released his first national album, Western Underground, in 1991. His follow-up album, Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy, was certified gold and reached the Top 10. The title track, a duet with Brooks, became LeDoux's first and only Top 10 country single, reaching No. 7 in 1992. In concert, he ended the song by saying, "Thanks, Garth!"
For the 35th annual Grammy Awards in 1992, the single track "Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy" was nominated for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.
For the next decade, LeDoux continued to record for Liberty. He released six additional records, including One Road Man, which made the country Top 40 in 1998. Toward the end of his career, LeDoux began recording material written by other artists, which he attributed to the challenge of composing new lyrics. With his 2000 release, Cowboy, he returned to his roots, re-recording many of his earliest songwriting creations.
The RIAA certified two gold and one platinum recordings for LeDoux. On February 22, 1993, the single "Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy" went gold. On June 2, 1997, the album The Best of Chris LeDoux went gold. And on October 5, 2005, the album 20 Greatest Hits went platinum.
In August 2000, LeDoux was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, which required him to receive a liver transplant. Garth Brooks volunteered to donate part of his liver, but it was incompatible. An alternative donor was located, and LeDoux received a transplant on October 7, 2000. After his recovery he released two additional albums. In November 2004, LeDoux was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma for which he underwent radiation treatment until his death.
LeDoux died of cancer on March 9, 2005, at age 56. His funeral was held on March 11.
Official bio:
Enough tears have fallen to fill the Powder River through Kaycee, Wyoming where Chris LeDoux called home. He died of a rare form of cancer in March of 2005. During his all-too-short 56 years of life, LeDoux was indeed a rare breed. Beloved by the rodeo world, LeDoux’s music captured the spirit of the sport - and of the American West - as few will ever likely match. The young Chris put pen to paper often. Poem after poem reflected his love of rodeo and of a young girl, Peggy, who would become his wife and bear him five children. His sense of humor and self-deprecating manner were constants even in the most painful of times. Besides writing words to become songs, Chris liked to sketch cartoons ala Charlie Russell and “Ole Chuck” would have been honored to ride alongside LeDoux. Many heroes don’t quite live up to their reputations. This Wyoming, and rodeo, hero outshined them all. A practical joke player extraordinaire, who would not intentionally hurt even the squirrels on the golf course, Chris will forever be thought of with a certain amount of reverence in these parts. There is a hole in Wyoming’s heart.
He was world champion professional bareback rider in 1976. When speaking about that accomplishment LeDoux chuckled recalling his bounty. “I won a saddle and a buckle and I got a hat and a pair of boots – and a little bit of money. The money’s gone. The boots are worn out. The hat’s gone – someone bit a big chunk out of it at Fort Worth that next winter. I still have the saddle and the buckle. But that championship gave me credibility in the music that I’m doing and helped tremendously,” LeDoux believed. His stage act came to represent a rodeo complete with mechanical bull, pyrotechnics, and pulsating energy that kept standing-room-only crowds on their feet for two hours – always howling for more. The moment the net fell and the first strains of “Copenhagen” rang out is one all Chris LeDoux fans cherished. Flinging tins was a sport in itself. It was a way to show love too, sort of like resting a bunch of roses at Barbara Streisand’s feet. Forgive the comparison but it is just the kind of image that would make Chris smile and say, “Yeah.”
His interest in rodeo stemmed from a childhood in Texas surrounded by friends and neighbors for whom rodeo was a way of life. LeDoux decided to give it a try, won a buckle, and was “bitten by the bug.” The family moved to Wyoming where rodeo continued to peak his interest. Before he gave much thought to girls or hot cars, Chris LeDoux dreamt of becoming a rodeo champ. He wrote his classic tune “Bareback Jack” while a student at Casper College. His mom had bought a guitar for Chris at Jay’s Music Store in Cheyenne a few years earlier. He first strummed and sang along to Marty Robbins “Big Iron.” He had many rodeo stars to gaze upon while living in Cheyenne and musicians then started to gain his attention. Favorites included Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Charlie Daniels. “I started listening to country music and loved it. I wanted to be able to play the guitar and sing some of those songs,” LeDoux remembered.
Football competed for some of his extracurricular time while at Central High School in Cheyenne but it was always Cheyenne Frontier Days that gave him “Gold Buckle Dreams.” His bareback riding skills rose measurably as fellow contestants offered pointers. Soon Chris LeDoux was among the top riders. He could have chosen many different paths during that period in the late 1960s and 70s but decided a wife and family – settling in rural Wyoming – was the best course for his life. A successful rodeo career was overtaken by music. Hundreds of songs about the West, cowboy and rodeo life, and love ensued. It was Garth Brooks who kicked things up several notches by singing the line “Worn out tapes of Chris LeDoux” in Brooks’ 1989 hit “Much Too Young (to Feel This Damn Old).” Almost immediately millions more fans of Chris launched a career that brought recognition and a degree of fame well outside the rodeo world.
Writing songs became more work than fun and Chris would come to depend on others for many of his recordings during the latter part of his long musical journey. “Writing to me is like sitting in a room by yourself all day pulling one hair out a time. I did enough of that. I’m ready to enjoy other things - be outside,” he said. He would get back home to the Kaycee ranch often and when there fix fence and do ranch chores his father-in-law saved for him. “I’m usually home calving time,” LeDoux recalled. “I kind of wish I was out on the road then.”
Another passion entered LeDoux’s life in the latter half of the 1990s. Golf. That surprised the cowboy musician. “I hate to admit it. I cussed the game for years. But it’s addicting. I don’t understand it. Maybe it’s just the nice little parks you get to walk through.”
Aren’t we glad he walked through our lives? More like leaped, and sang, and helped teach us to believe there is a lot of good out there we can do for others while at the same time enriching our own souls beyond measure.
Chris LeDoux’s band, Western Underground, carries on in his honor. Guitar player, and road manager, Mark Sissel stood by Chris’s side for 16 years. “It was like getting up every morning and walking down the road with John Wayne. The only difference was there was no on-screen/off-screen. Chris was the same every day – an extraordinary person; an exceptional man,” Sissel told the crowd at the first annual Tribute to Chris LeDoux in Casper, Wyo. last fall.
Stampede
Chris Ledoux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watch the cattle
As they bend down
Back at the wagons
Right after supper
Spread the bed rolls
On the ground
We took the night guard
And the sage
Never smelled so sweet
The prairie moon
Was blazin silver
No chance tonight
For stampede
We rode off yonder
In the distance
Towards the mountains
There in the west
Then I see lightening
And I hear thunder
My mind is weary I could use some rest
Then all at once
The wind shifts directions
The clouds roll in
Behind the tumble weeds
These longhorn cattle
Are gettin restless
God help us all
If they stampede
Smell the rain
And hear the thunder
The midnight sky
Turns balck as death
Lightening crashes
Smell the sulfur
It's rank and strong
As satan's breath
The cattle rise up
And go around
I steer my pony
On to take a lead
And across the heard
I can hear willie yellin
Hey stampede
Dust clouds ride
As the rain falls
They mix together
Turn the air to mud
I feel the longhorns
Brush against me
And I can feel the demons
Racin through my blood
And all at once
My pony stumbles
We hit the ground
And I rise
Up to my knees
And flash a light
I can see the cattle comin
Lord I know
I'm gonna die
In this stampede
Then I wait
And I look around
I'm in my bed roll
And I;m layin on the ground
Over there's a wagon
And there's the campfire
I was only dreamin
But what's that sound
Then I feel the earth
Tremble beneath me
As the midnight sky
Begins to bleed
And from the blackness
I can hear willie yellin
Hey stampede
The song "Stampede" by Chris Ledoux is a western-themed narrative ballad that tells the story of a cowboys' experience during a cattle drive. The lyrics portray the peaceful routine of cowboys camping by the river, watching over their cattle, and enjoying the prairie's beauty until a storm front arrives suddenly. The singer is aware of the dangers that can result from a cattle stampede caused by thunder and lightning, and the vivid details of the lyrics describe the atmospheric change, the crushing sound of the hooves, and the fear of death that a cowboy feels, trying to stop the herd. Later on, the lyrics allude to the cowboy's nightmare, in which he again faces a stampede, but this time it is just a dream. But even within his dream, he hears Willie yelling, "Hey, stampede."
The song's poetic narrative takes listeners on a journey that highlights the beauty and dangers of the American West's cowboy lifestyle. The lyrics' vividness reflects Ledoux's first-hand experience as a bronco rider and a rancher before becoming a renowned country singer. The song's theme can be interpreted as an allegory for life's unexpected hardships that keep people restless, regardless of their state of being. It can also be viewed as a metaphor for facing one's fears and taking control of the situation by summoning courage and fortitude, similar to cowboys prevailing over stampedes.
Line by Line Meaning
We made camp along the river
We stopped by the river and set up camp.
Watch the cattle
We kept an eye on the cattle, making sure they were okay.
As they bend down
As the cattle grazed on the grass.
Back at the wagons
The wagons were parked behind us.
Right after supper
After we finished eating dinner.
Spread the bed rolls
We laid out our bed rolls.
On the ground
We put our bed rolls on the dirt.
Me an willie
My friend Willie and I.
We took the night guard
We took turns keeping watch at night.
And the sage
And we could smell the sagebrush.
Never smelled so sweet
It smelled really good, like perfume.
The prairie moon
The moon that was shining on the prairie.
Was blazin silver
It was very bright and shining brightly.
No chance tonight
There was no chance that anything bad would happen tonight.
For stampede
There was no chance of the cattle stampeding tonight.
We rode off yonder
We rode off into the distance.
In the distance
Far away, on the horizon.
Towards the mountains
In the direction of the mountains.
There in the west
Over in the western part of the sky.
Then I see lightning
I saw a flash of lightning in the sky.
And I hear thunder
I heard the sound of thunder rumbling in the sky.
My mind is weary I could use some rest
I was tired and could use some sleep.
Then all at once
Suddenly, without warning.
The wind shifts directions
The wind changed direction.
The clouds roll in
The clouds started moving in towards us.
Behind the tumble weeds
In the area where tumbleweeds were blowing.
These longhorn cattle
The cattle with the long horns.
Are gettin restless
The cows are starting to become agitated and nervous.
God help us all
Oh my God, please help us!
If they stampede
If the cattle start running away in a panic.
Smell the rain
I could smell the rain coming.
And hear the thunder
I could also hear the thunder getting closer.
The midnight sky
The sky in the middle of the night.
Turns balck as death
The sky turned dark and foreboding like death.
Lightening crashes
There were flashes of lightning illuminating the sky.
Smell the sulfur
I could smell the sulfur that the lightning makes.
It's rank and strong
The smell is unpleasant and overpowering.
As satan's breath
The smell was so bad that it reminded me of something coming from Satan.
The cattle rise up
The cattle started to stand up and become agitated.
And go around
They started moving in circles or bunching up.
I steer my pony
I guide my horse.
On to take a lead
I guide my horse to the front of the herd.
And across the heard
I move across the herd.
I can hear willie yellin
I could hear my friend Willie yelling something.
Hey stampede
He was yelling to warn me that a cattle stampede was about to happen.
Dust clouds ride
Dusty clouds were forming and moving.
As the rain falls
It started to rain.
They mix together
The dust from the cattle and the rain mixed together.
Turn the air to mud
The combination of rain and dust made the air feel heavy and muddy.
I feel the longhorns
I felt the longhorn's horns brush against me.
Brush against me
The cow's horns touched me lightly.
And I can feel the demons
I felt like something evil was happening.
Racin through my blood
I felt an adrenaline rush.
And all at once
Suddenly, all of a sudden.
My pony stumbles
My horse stumbled and tripped.
We hit the ground
We fell off the horse.
And I rise
I got back up.
Up to my knees
I was up to my knees in mud.
And flash a light
I used a flashlight.
I can see the cattle comin
I saw the cattle running towards me.
Lord I know
Oh my God, I know.
I'm gonna die
I thought that I was going to die.
In this stampede
If the cattle stampede, I thought that I would die.
Then I wait
I just waited for the inevitable.
And I look around
I looked around in confusion.
I'm in my bed roll
I was back in my bed roll.
And I'm layin on the ground
I was lying on the ground.
Over there's a wagon
I saw a wagon nearby.
And there's the campfire
I saw the campfire burning.
I was only dreamin
It was just a dream.
But what's that sound
I heard a sound and it made me wonder.
Then I feel the earth
I started to feel a vibration in the ground.
Tremble beneath me
The ground started to shake.
As the midnight sky
It was the middle of the night.
Begins to bleed
The sky started turning a red color.
And from the blackness
From the darkness of the night.
I can hear willie yellin
I heard Willie yelling again.
Hey stampede
He was warning me that a cattle stampede was happening again.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHRIS LEDOUX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ryan Wolf
I just love Chris. I bet todays "country singers" couldn't have spent a minute in his boots. Most underrated singer ever in my opinion.
Faine
Chris and Ned are 100% Top 5 underrated singers.
Scott Vester
So true
CHRISTY Morss
Especially remembering that he was a working Cowboy and pro rodeo competitor. Gotta love Chris.
Kalley Haeussler
I swear he's the most underrated artist of all time I straight up cry every time I hear his music because I know I'll never see him in concert that would be a dream come true, he's my favorite artist and always will be
WildManFyfe
He past away :(
shaleknight 62
Kalley Haeussler I totally agree with you
Chris Crawford
I seen him in concert in Germany. When I was in the army.
Chris Crawford
Kalley Haeussler his son Ned has a band and play his dad's music. He's got video here on YouTube
American Antler Hunter
Ned is his son following his music career, and he is awesome in concert.