Sheriff Jim Wilson

SMITH & WESSON… The day before the 2010 SHOT Show opened in Las Vegas was a shooting day for gun writers and industry folks. One of the events that I always like to visit is put on by the good folks at Smith & Wesson. I had a good time there and, as I was about to leave, they pointed out that I hadn’t drawn for my door prize. Now I have as much luck at drawings as President Obama will in carrying Arizona the next election. But, I drew anyway.

Just to prove that a blind sow can occasionally find an acorn, I actually won an M&P auto. It was supposed to be an M&P .45 but, at my request, they swapped it for the 9mm version. Don’t get excited… I’m not switching calibers this late in the game. However, the fact was that I didn’t have a good 9mm to use in classes and ammo tests. Smith & Wesson was happy to fix me up.

As you know, there are several good polymer, striker-fired pistols available today. I just happen to like the S&W M&P a little better than the others. The model that I received has the ambidextrous thumb safeties, which I like, and I really like the interchangeable backstraps for making the gun fit my hand.

This past week, this particular M&P went off to XS Sights (www.xssights.com) to have an Express rear sight and a Big Dot front sight installed. I’m looking forward to playing with this package. Don’t be surprised if you see if on AMERICAN GUARDIAN TV during the coming season.

RUGER… This past week, I spent three days with the good folks from Ruger. I was especially pleased to tour their Prescott, AZ, plant. Mark Lang and the guys are doing some really interesting new things with the way they are set up to build guns. Mark and his staff are finding ways to make the whole process faster and more dependable.

For example, just a while back, Texas governor Rick Perry used a Ruger LCP to dispatch a coyote that was after his dog (one shot, too, by the way!). The folks at Ruger heard about the episode and within a few days were turning out an LCP marked “Coyote Special” complete with the Texas star on the slide. Their new manufacturing techniques are the reason that they can get such a quick turn-around on products. You can expect more of this to occur in the future.

We also shot several Ruger guns that will be coming out later this year. Frankly, I agreed not to talk about the specifics until Ruger gives us the green light to do so. You have to understand that Ruger is a public company and, in order to avoid accusations of insider trading, they take confidentiality very seriously. Ruger is also committed to having plenty of guns on the shelves, ready to ship, before they make an announcement. This hasn’t always been the case with Ruger and they don’t want it to happen again. So, stay tuned and we’ll let you know about some very interesting new Rugers just as soon as we can.

HUNTING… In July I’ll be going to Argentina with Remington for a dove/pigeon/duck shoot. I’ve been wanting to get among the Argentine doves & pigeons for many years and this will be my first opportunity. Down there, the birds nest several times a year and there are so many that they have become a pest to local farmers. I’m told that it’s not uncommon to shoot 500-1,000 shotgun shells each day! And, not to worry, the birds are collected and provided to villagers for food.

Anyway, we’ll be testing a new Remington shotgun and new Remington shotshell. You’ll see my report later this year in the pages of American Rifleman and American Hunter magazines.

And then, in August, Il Ling New, Dr. Dean Taylor, and I will be back in Australia, hunting Asian buffalo with Simon Kyle-Little (www.australianbiggamesafaris.com). We’re heading back to the Walker River camp, in Eastern Arnhem Land, and will be doing another buffalo management hunt.

This year, I’ll be hunting with the same Ruger #1 (.375 H&H) that I used last year. But I’ll be using the Hornady Dangerous Game 300 gr. soft-point ammo this time. As with last year, I’ll give you a blow-by-blow of the hunt and let you know how the ammo performed.

MUSIC… Jim Jones is producing a new album for me. This next week I’ll head to Albuquerque and record the last songs for it. Then we’ll be involved in mixing the completed work and getting it ready for distribution. With my hunting trips and all, I expect we’ll probably have it ready to ship some time in October. Just a guess, though. Our main goal is to get it right and have a collection of songs that you folks will enjoy.

I hope that each of you has a fun, exciting summer. Feel free to drop me a line and tell me about your latest hunt or your newest gun. I’ll get back to you in August, with a report on Argentina and Australia. In the meantime, ya’ll try to behave yourselves!!!

Jim Wilson

Just wanted to post these for your viewing pleasure. These are from the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering just last month where my friend Jim Jones and I performed and just plain had a grand old time. It’s a great event and I highly recommend it. See the link above for more details about next year’s Gathering.

JIM JONES
I first met Jim Jones at an Academy of Western Artists gathering in Ft. Worth, a number of years ago. He sat in, one evening, at a jam session that Kip Calahan and I were enjoying. I quickly learned two things about Jones; one is that he was a pretty darn good hand with a guitar, and the second was that he and I knew a lot of the same songs.  A short time later, I invited him to join me on a number of my concert dates.

Since that time, we’ve had a good deal of fun running up and down the road, playing music, and “spending thousands to make hundreds.” Besides being a good picker, Jones has the sort of laid back attitude that I appreciate. We’ve all worked with musicians who felt they needed some pharmaceutical assistance to get through the evening.  Those kind of folks just aren’t very dependable, nor are they very entertaining. Besides the occasional Cold Beer, to ward off the evening’s chill, Jones and I have kind of outgrown all that other stuff. Life is much simpler and more enjoyable now.

Jim Jones is also a dandy songwriter.  He’s penned a number of songs that have been nominated for awards.  His albums are entertaining, as are his performances.

The coolest thing, however, is that the Academy of Western Artists chose Jim Jones as the 2008 Male Vocalist.  I think it is recognition that is well deserved and has been a long time coming.  Check him out atwww.jimjonesmusic.com.

The main thing, however, that I appreciate about Jim Jones is that he has become a good and true friend of mine.  I enjoy his company.  But…. please don’t tell him that I was bragging on him.

NAPA OPERA HOUSE
This past December, Il Ling gave me a very wonderful birthday gift.  She got us tickets to attend a concert at the Napa Opera House, in Napa, California. The particular concert was a performance by John Sebastian and David Grisman.  Il Ling and I, and a few hundred over-the-hill hippies, thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

I knew Sebastian and Grisman by reputation, but had really never listened to their music. I have to tell you that it was pretty darned cool.  Sebastian thumb-picked his Gibson J-45 in the style of his hero, Mississippi John Hurt. The name of John’s band, The Lovin’ Spoonfulls, even came from one of Hurt’s old blues songs. Grisman, of course, is a past master on the mandolin.  An extremely entertaining evening.

However, the funniest part was the fact that there was some woman, sitting down at the end of our aisle, who sang along with every song in the first portion of the show. You can imagine how it annoyed the rest of us. Well, you can imagine how it surprised the rest of us when, in the second half of the show, Sebastian introduced Marie Muldaur to the stage.  Yep, it was her!  And she’s singing as great as she ever did.

So, whenever you’re out Napa way, be sure to check in at the Napa Opera House and see who they’ve got on the bill.  Actually, you’d better check in and order your tickets online because they sell out well in advance.

TEXAS COWBOY POETRY GATHERING/GRANADA THEATER
This past February, there was a great crowd in Alpine for the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Doris Daley & Dave Stamey headlined the evening shows and all of the sessions were well attended.

In keeping with our habit, for the past couple of years, I booked an evening show on Friday night following the traditional stage show. This year, we were honored to use the newly renovated Granada Theater. Karen Travland has really done a wonderful job of renovating this Alpine landmark.

We billed the event as “Jim Wilson & Friends” and I am pleased that a number of my friends showed up to help entertain the 200-plus folks that were in attendance.  Jim Jones, Dave Stamey, Kip Calahan, Randy Huston, Allen Chapman, Audrey Hankins, Mike Querner, and the Texas Trailhands, all made appearances.  And I’m sure that I’ve left someone out… if so, please forgive me.

It was a great evening and lots of fun. I want to especially thank my good friend Mark Pollock (www.transpecosguitars.com) for helping to organize the event and run the sound. So, you folks should plan to attend the 2010 Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, be sure to leave Friday night open. We’ll be having another “Jim Wilson & Friends” event and I sure hope that you are able to attend.

See ya down the road…..

I want to send a special thanks to my friend Jo Bannister, of Tombstone, Arizona Territory. Jo is a first-class photographer and her shop is called Sadie Jo’s, on Third Street in Tombstone. A lot of the new photos that you see on these pages were shot by Jo. When you’re out in Tombstone, go by her shop and get some “vintage” photos made. Oh, and her web site is www.sadiejos.com.

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Memorial weekend, 2006, Jim Jones and I were invited to perform at the Kerrville Folk Festival, especially for the Allen Wayne Damron memorial. That was the same weekend that Guy Clark, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Steve Fromholz , were booked to play. Needless to say, we had a memorable time. Well, what we remember of it was fun.
I had never met Guy Clark before and I have to tell you that he’s a really nice guy. Later on, in the summer, we had a little party over at Marfa. Guy showed up, along with Joe Ely, Terry Allen, Robert Earl Keene, and David Burne, but I wouldn’t want to drop any names. Anyway, Guy’s got a new album out and it’s a good one but, for my money, his best album in a long time is The Dark. Get a copy and see if you don’t agree.

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Jim Jones and I have kind of started a tradition, without actually meaning to. And that is our October Raid & Pillage through Arizona. This last fall we played shows for Wes & Nancy Ruybal, and the John Gambles, in the Phoenix area. Then we hit Wickenburg and pestered Audrey Hankins, as well as playing at the local coffee shop. And a huge house concert at the home of Jim & Georgene Lockwood, in Prescott, wrapped it up.
We had so much fun that we’re going to do it again, in the fall of 2007. So watch our tour schedules for the dates and locations.

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April 20-22, 2007, we will be in Dallas for the Dallas Guitar Show, put on by my good friend Mark Pollock. Mark used to own Charlie’s Guitar Shop, in Dallas, before he got smart and moved to the Big Bend. He still goes back every year, however, to put on the Dallas Guitar Show, one of the biggest in the country.
This year, they will have an area where celebrity guitars will be displayed. Probably the most famous guitar on display will be Eric Clapton’s old Fender that he called “Blackie.” And, of course, rumor has it that Mr. Clapton will also be hanging out at the guitar show. We’ll see.
While we’re in the Dallas area, we’ll play a house concert at my son’s house in Lewisville. Ryan’s buddies have turned into to some pretty loyal supporters of my music and they generally always show up when we’re at Poor David’s Pub, or elsewhere in the area. So, I’m looking forward to an all-around great weekend.

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November will be a big month for me. Nov. 2-4, 2007, is the Tomstone Western Music Festival, in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. This is absolutely one of my favorite shows to attend each year. I love that part of the country and I really enjoy hanging out with Rich & Esther Dollarhide, Big Ed, and Jo Bannister, just to name a few.

If you haven’t been to Tombstone, you need to come attend the western music festival. Just visitwww.tombstonewesternmusicfestival.com for all the details.

And, of course, the second big event in November is the Western Music Association festival & membership meeting Nov. 15-18, held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I think we’ll be at a new hotel this year, as there was a scheduling conflict with the old one. Anyway, you can visitwww.westernmusic.org and get all the details on that one. By the way they will also tell you how to go about joining the WMA. Whether you are a performer or a fan, you should be supporting western music. Just send ‘em your money. It’s pert near painless.

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Finally, on a sad note, former WMA President Mickey Dawes recently lost his fight with cancer. Western music lost a strong advocate and I lost a good friend.
I first went on the WMA board of directors the year that Steve Rhodes was the president–whatever year that was. Steve just served the one year and then Mickey was elected to the board and the board elected him president. Mickey’s long-running goal was to convert the WMA from a Sons-of-the-Pioneers fan club to a professional music organization. We moved the festival out of Tucson because the city of Tucson simply wasn’t supporting our event. After some false starts, we ended up holding the annual festival in Albuquerque, where it continues to be. The city of Albuquerque seems to really enjoy having us in town and they aren’t afraid to jump in and help promote our event.

Our board, under Mickey’s leadership, made some mistakes, too. But the truth is that they were mistakes made by people that were trying to improve things. If it weren’t for Mickey Dawes the WMA would still be sitting around in a Tucson motel singing Tumbling Tumbleweeds to each other–one more time. What Mickey Dawes started with the WMA, Steve Taylor and his board have built on and the WMA continues to grow.
So that’s it from this part of the Chihuahuan Desert. Come out and catch the show when I’m in your area, or drop me an e-mail. I’d love to hear from you.

See ya down the road.

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by Bob Gray

The proper order of things is that first you live it–then you write about it. Doesn’t really matter whether it’s prose, poetry, or music. It’s very doubtful that you’re going to have anything interesting to say about an experience you haven’t had.

With Jim Wilson, a featured player on the Schreiner University campus during Living History Day on September 26th, that’s not a problem.  Born in Austin and raised in San Antonio, a peace officer in Denton and elected Sheriff of Crockett County until his retirement in 1996, this is a man who has lived the Texas and Western life.

One of things I look for in a person is the words they are willing, or unwilling, to use when describing what’s important to them. So the first line in Jim Wilson’s website biography was very reassuring for both the words used and sentiments expressed:

“Cowboy music is a great way to keep in touch with our traditions and re-affirm freedom as Western people.”

Work it through. He is saying several things–nearly none of which you’re likely to hear today said publicly.  Most important in my mind is that Freedom is important –“freedom as a Western people.” The concomitant thought is that westerners view freedom differently than northerners and easterners. It’s true, we do. We have traditions of freedom that genuinely seem to befuddle New Yorkers. We carry guns in our pick-ups (an instantaneous reason for arrest and incarceration in NY). We haven’t yet caught the virus that makes every problem a political problem.  We don’t automatically look to government for help. A true Westerner doesn’t go on Oprah or Jerry Springer and cry or display indelicacies and emotions for the world to pick over.

“Cowboy music is a great way to keep in touch with our traditions…”  Precisely so. Cowboy music is born of hard work and self-reliance.  The Western tradition is not the 9 to 5 and TV ‘til midnight way of life found elsewhere.  The attitude that prevails in most of the country (and prisons) is that “if it’s not happening to me, it’s not happening.”

Westerners think differently. When our neighbors have a problem, we help without being asked–and we expect nothing in return but “Thanks.” When we have a problem we keep it to ourselves if possible. We work it out as best we can without applying for a government loan or laying our responsibilities off on others.

In fact, we are much more likely to respond in the way he describes in the song Seven Days From Musquiz on his CD, Border Bravo. In this song (and remember that it is being sung by a life-long lawman), he and his partner are left with the choice–starve or smuggle some horses out of Mexico. You don’t have to guess. They “know that what we’re doing really ain’t alright, but the grass is short in Texas and there ain’t no rain in sight.”  They don’t apply for a government loan, they don’t take up a collection from the neighbors, they don’t demand the local church bail them out.  They smuggle.

It’s important to make the distinction here:  He isn’t saying that hard times excuse breaking the law. If they’re caught they’ll take the punishment without crying about it. His point is rather that his life is his responsibility–and he’d rather break the law than bitch about fate or ask others to subsidize him.

These attitudes are Westerner’s customary responses, and are all things that Cowboy music epitomizes. And Jim Wilson’s music–the songs he writes and those he covers–are in this tradition.

As if to underscore this fact, Wilson works as the handgun editor for Shooting Times magazine, while simultaneously serving as vice-president of the Western Music Association.  “When I was Crockett County sheriff, I worked for the passage of the Texas concealed/carry (handguns) bill. I wanted us to have a better law on the books than the old Penal Code 46.02, that was so ambiguous,” he told me. He is happiest when ranch and rural folks in his audience respond to his music.  “My music is for people who live on gravel roads, and the ones who have always wanted to.”  All of this is connected–and gratifying to hear from a Texas peace officer.

The Western Music Association has nominated Border Bravo for album of the year.  One of his original and most beautiful songs, Mountain Home, finished in the top five at the Academy of Western Artists awards show held on July 8th in Ft. Worth.  Considering the hundreds of songs and albums produced annually in Texas, this is no small feat.

Another of his originals, The Road to Sonora, combines gorgeous and innovative instrumentals with retrospective lyrics.  His voice and style are the perfect meld of the best from Ray Price and Johnny Cash.  The result is both individual and warmly recognizable.  This is an experienced hand doing what he loves.

You should be seriously considering buying this album by now.  If love of truly beautiful Texas music played and sung by seasoned and peerless performers is a motivator, then log onto www.sheriffjimwilson.com.  There you’ll meet him, see his incredible performance schedule, and be able to order the album.

On Friday, the 26th of September, Jim will be performing his songs and telling his stories in person to all comers to the Living History Day on Schreiner University campus in Kerrville, Texas, from 9 am to 3 pm.  Well, actually from 9 to 10 am he will be conducting an up close and personal seminar in Cailloux Hall on the campus.  This seminar is open to the first twenty people who sign up with $15.  Go to club.ed@kerrvilleisd.net for more information.  The seminar is being kept small so the time spent is personal and intimate. While the seminar is going to concern mainly music writing, for those of us who write  everything but songs – Jim is busy now on a novel.  The story will be based on actual circumstances, a murder on the border in the 1890’s.  While the rest will be fiction, even the fiction is going to be based on a lifetime of living the lawman life in America’s last real frontier – the Southwest.  The tentative title is Agua Verde Crossing (also the name of the third of his original songs on the CD).  I can hardly wait.

And you aren’t going to find a more widely experienced performer to answer your questions.  He’s been performing since his college days back in the 1960’s, and Border Bravo is an excellent showcase for all he’s learned through those years.  If you can make it to the Living History Day performance, you can buy the album for fifteen dollars and save the two bucks for shipping and handling.

“This will be my second year to perform at Living History Day.  Kerrville has always represented all the different types of Texas music, and that’s what I really like about this event.  Kathleen (Director of the Texas Heritage Music Foundation) brings them all together on one day in one place,” said Wilson.  “The American West and the cowboy aren’t dying as some folks seem to think. They may be changing a little, but they sure aren’t dying out. As long as there’s a beef industry in America, and wild country to run cattle in, the American cowboy will be alive and well.”  I’d like to add that, as long as there are peace officers like Jim Wilson, freedom will also thrive in Texas–and America.  BG