We’ve been playing old time traditional music; Western and Mormon pioneer songs and dance tunes, hits from the ’80’s and ’90’s, 1880’s and ’90’s, some very nice old songs and tunes that are part of our western pioneer heritage, for over 35 years.
We were the first band to bring the old time traditional Mormon folk songs and dance tunes to The Pioneer Trails State Park aka This Is The Place Heritage Park located at the mouth of emigration Canyon in Salt Lake City, in the early 1980’s.
During the 1980’s we participated in a Utah Folk Arts fellowship with an older friend, Patti Richards. Patti grew up in the Uintah Basin and had learned all of her father’s old time dance tunes and dances that had come down through the years from the early days of the Church in Utah. Patti taught the tunes to me and the dance steps to my wife Jill. We performed at the Utah State Fair as part of an example of these old dances with Craig Miller from the Utah Arts Council.
Over the years we’ve participated in several films and recording projects. My favorite is a recording we made to celebrate the Church’s sesquicentennial. This recording is known as “Down In Utah”. Of the 1,000 cassette tapes printed there are just a few left. I’m in the process of reissuing this on CD.
During the Utah Centennial year I helped found The Beehive Band and performed many times with them and participated in their two CD recording. To my knowledge there are no copies of this recording available. Long sold out.
My wife and I and others have performed in the band, since 1984, known as The Haywire Band, Haywire String Band and currently The Haywire Ranch String Band. I have been a member of The Buckle Busters, a regionally well known “Old Time” string band, on and off since 1988.
We have performed all over the state of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, We’ve performed in the Church History Museum, for weddings, for the opening celebration of the state centennial, for Civil War reenactments and dances, in films, for funerals, birthdays, pioneer treks, wagon train reenactments, just to name a few.
Our most recent recording project was a collaboration with Loraine Miner on her book and recording “Mormon Pioneer Dance”. This was released in May of 2017.
We recently wrote and performed a “mock” live pioneer radio program for the LDS Church History Museum, and for the 2018 MVW Festival.
From more information please contact Cory Webster aka The Haywire Cowboy, at 801-466-1820, haywirecowboy@gmail.com