Country music loses a true cowboy

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Mar 25, 2005 | by Scott Iwasaki Deseret Morning News

A week and a half ago, country legend Chris LeDoux passed away.

I didn't learn it from the wire stories or other news stories. I learned it from my 11-year-old daughter. She knows someone who knows one of LeDoux's former bandmates.

To say the least, I was saddened.

I was introduced to Chris LeDoux through my work. When I started as a music critic in the early 1990s, I went through all the music and artist files in the Deseret Morning News archives. I made it a point to learn as much as I could about each one of the artists we had on file.

LeDoux immediately struck me as the real deal.

He used his country-music recordings to help make ends meet while he was riding the rodeo circuit in the 1980s. Music was a side project then. But things have a way of changing.

In the 1990s, Garth Brooks named-dropped LeDoux in a song called "Much Too Young." And from then, LeDoux's career began to burn. He gained a loyal following, and by 1998 he was at the top of his game.

LeDoux crossed over to the rock scene when he recorded a song with Jon Bon Jovi, "Bang A Drum." Bon Jovi had recorded a version of that song for the "Young Guns II" soundtrack back in 1990. LeDoux heard it, liked it and had his manager call Bon Jovi's manager to work out doing a duet.

I was privileged to interview LeDoux in 1998. He came to town with Sawyer Brown that fall. When I asked what his future plans were, he answered in the typical, low-key Chris LeDoux way: "My future goal is more of the same that I've been doing for the last couple of decades. I'm just going to be rolling down this highway.

"But I do want to keep to myself, if you know what I mean. The fans are what got me here. And they are what's important. They make you feel special, even if you're just a regular guy . . . It feels real good to feel loved. I think everyone can relate to that. Everyone loves to feel loved."

IN OTHER COUNTRY-MUSIC NEWS, the Academy of Country Music is reaching out to fans in a touchy-feely way -- counting on them to vote for an award.

ACM and Home Depot and have announced nominees for the Home Depot Humanitarian Award: Diamond Rio, Neal McCoy and Brad Paisley.

These three country-music acts were chosen on three criteria:

(1) Commitment to serving others (community service)

(2) Generosity of spirit

(3) Dedication to helping build the dreams of those in need

The award made its public debut in 2002 and past recipients include Reba McEntire, Lonestar and Martina McBride.

ACM wants fans to cast their votes by logging on to www.homedepot.com/acm. The award will be given at the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on May 17.

In addition to voting, fans are automatically entered in a contest to win a trip for two to attend the 2006 CMA awards.

E-mail: scott@desnews.com