Rooster Morris

Last updated

Rooster Morris (born September 16, 1955) is an American writer, musician and songwriter, the author of the Axle Galench children's book series and co-owner of Axle Publishing Company, Inc. and Laid-Back West, an educational materials distribution company. The first book in his series, Axle Galench and the Gate of No Return, was published in 2004. Morris released his second book, Axle Galench in Search of Barnsfoggon, in 2005, and has also recorded and performed the music for audio books for each release. Axle Galench and the Spin Lizard Rescue is currently in its final stages of editing and will be published sometime in 2008. Since 2004, Morris and his wife/business partner Jody Logsdon have sold a combined total of over 13,500 of his books and audio books in his self-publishing endeavors. He has performed for over 2.5 million children since the publication of his first book. [1] [2] [3] [4] He was featured in the Texas Living section of Southern Living Magazine in January 2007. [5] Morris currently resides in Rockdale, Texas.

Contents

Personal life

David Lee Morris was born in Ridgecrest, California, and soon acquired the nickname Rooster. He spent his childhood immersed in the cowboy life. At the age of five, he began riding horses and working cattle with his father on ranches in the tri-state area of Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Because he lived in remote places and had few friends his own age, Rooster invented a unique way of entertaining himself. He started mimicking bird calls and coyote howls, then began developing unusual voices. Many years later, the skills he taught himself would result in the recording of an audio book written by John R. Erickson, the author of the Hank the Cowdog books. Moonshiner's Gold contained seventeen people for which Morris did different voice characterizations. [6]

Musical background

Rooster's musical skills are self-taught as well. He began learning to play the fiddle when he was a teenager. By the time he graduated from high school, he was playing fiddle for the historic Western Cowpunchers Association that was established in the 1880s in Amarillo, Texas. He has since been recorded by the Smithsonian Institution playing old-time fiddle music (album title, Ridin' Old Paint), [7] recorded a CD of his original compositions (Picnic Tree), and taught himself how to play guitar, mandolin, and bass.

Becoming a writer

In 1999, Morris opened for children's author John R. Erickson during a public event in Lubbock, Texas. The response of the audience to Erickson's reading moved Morris to become acquainted with the Hank the Cowdog series. He spoke with Erickson, who encouraged him to learn some of the songs and voices so he could do Hank the Cowdog programs in schools. Morris soon learned the songs and voices from Erickson's audio books and, in a business agreement with Erickson, Morris began performing solo Hank the Cowdog shows, ultimately reaching over two million people over the next three years. The enthusiasm of the children to the performances, as well as the positive influence Morris could see the performances were having on their reading, convinced him to begin writing his own books. His school and community performances now highlight his own Axle Galench books, and include music, storytelling, and writing workshop components. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Publications

Books

Audiobooks

Other recordings

Related Research Articles

Bob Wills American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader

James Robert Wills was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing.

Ochiltree County, Texas County in Texas, United States

Ochiltree County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 10,015. The county seat is Perryton. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1889. and is named for William Beck Ochiltree, who was an attorney general of the Republic of Texas. It was previously one of 30 prohibition or entirely dry counties in the state of Texas.

Perryton, Texas City in Texas, United States

Perryton is a city in and the county seat of Ochiltree County, Texas, United States. Its population was 8,802 at the 2010 census.

Roger Miller American country musician (1936–1992)

Roger Dean Miller Sr. was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping country and pop hits "King of the Road", "Dang Me", and "England Swings", all from the mid-1960s Nashville sound era.

<i>Strait from the Heart</i> 1982 studio album by George Strait

Strait from the Heart is the second studio album by American country music artist George Strait, released on June 3, 1982 by MCA Records. The album includes Strait's first No. 1 single, "Fool Hearted Memory", as well as follow-up singles "Marina del Rey", "Amarillo by Morning" and "A Fire I Can't Put Out", reaching No. 6, No. 4, and No. 1 respectively on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The album peaked at No. 18 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Strait from the Heart is certified platinum by the RIAA.

John R. Erickson American author

John Richard Erickson is an American cowboy and author, best known for his Hank the Cowdog series of children's novels.

<i>Hank the Cowdog</i> John R. Ericksons Children Book

Hank the Cowdog is a long-running, ongoing series of children's books written by John R. Erickson and illustrated by Gerald L. Holmes. The books follow Hank, a dog that views himself as the "Head of Ranch Security". Hank suffers a superiority complex, and thinks he is smarter than everybody else. His intelligence is limited to that of the average dog. In each book Hank and other characters must deal with several events, issues and mysteries that occur at their Texas Panhandle home in Ochiltree County. The name of the ranch is never mentioned in any of the stories. The series began in 1982, with a couple of short stories about Hank and his friends; since then, over 70 printed books and seven audio-only books have been published. Hank the Cowdog was previously published via Maverick Books, with Puffin Books holding the current American publishing rights in English. Each book features songs that Erickson performs on the audiobook editions. The series has received awards and critical acclaim, and the books have sold more than eight million copies worldwide. It has been published in several languages including Spanish, Danish, Persian, and Chinese. In the 1980s, the first book was adapted into an animated segment for CBS Storybreak.

Doug Sahm American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist

Douglas Wayne Sahm was an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in San Antonio, Texas. Sahm is regarded as one of the main figures of Tex-Mex music, and as an important performer of Texan Music. He gained fame along with his band, the Sir Douglas Quintet, with a top-twenty hit in the United States and the United Kingdom with "She's About a Mover" (1965). Sahm was influenced by the San Antonio music scene that included conjunto and blues, and later by the hippie scene of San Francisco. With his blend of music, he found success performing in Austin, Texas, as the hippie counterculture soared in the 1970s.

"Half as Much" is an American pop standard song written by Curley Williams in 1951. It was first recorded by country music singer Hank Williams in 1952 and reached number two on the Billboard Country Singles chart.

<i>Kickin Out the Footlights...Again</i> 2006 studio album by George Jones and Merle Haggard

Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again is a studio album by American country music artists George Jones and Merle Haggard, released in 2006.

<i>Lubbock Avalanche-Journal</i> Newspaper in Lubbock, Texas

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is owned by Gannett.


"Ramblin' Man" is a song written in 1951 by Hank Williams. It was released as the B-side to the 1953 number one hit "Take These Chains from My Heart", as well as to the 1976 re-release of "Why Don't You Love Me". It is also included on the 40 Greatest Hits, a staple of his CD re-released material.

Wide Open Spaces (song) 1998 single by Dixie Chicks

"Wide Open Spaces" is a song written by Susan Gibson and recorded by the American country music group Dixie Chicks. It was released in August 1998 as the third single and title track from the band's album Wide Open Spaces. The song hit number one on the U.S. Country singles chart and spent four weeks there in November 1998. It also placed to number 41 on the U.S. Pop singles chart. It reached number one on Canada's country music chart, their first chart-topper there and presaging a long history of support in that country for the band.

<i>Major Moves</i> 1984 studio album by Hank Williams Jr.

Major Moves is the thirty-seventh studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in May 1984. “Attitude Adjustment,” “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight” and the title track were released as singles. The album reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Montana Cafe</i> 1986 studio album by Hank Williams Jr.

Montana Cafe is the thirty-ninth studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in July 1986. "Country State of Mind," "Mind Your Own Business" and "When Something Is Good " were released as singles. The album reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart and has been certified Gold by the RIAA.

Ace in the Hole Band

Ace in the Hole Band is the backup band for American country music performer George Strait, who was the band's lead singer before beginning his solo career in the early 1980s. The band formed at San Marcos, Texas in the 1970s, and recorded several singles for "D Records" including the Strait-penned "I Just Can't Go On Dying Like This" and "I Don't Want To Talk It Over Anymore". After Strait attained status as the "King of Country", the group released an album of its own in 1995 featuring vocals from Darrell McCall and Mel Tillis.

<i>Songs for the Mama That Tried</i> 1981 studio album by Merle Haggard

Songs for the Mama That Tried is the 32nd studio album by American country singer Merle Haggard with backing by The Strangers, released in 1981. A Gospel album, it reached Number 46 on the Billboard country albums chart.

<i>Rowdy</i> (Hank Williams Jr. album) 1981 studio album by Hank Williams Jr.

Rowdy is the thirty-second studio album by Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Elektra/Curb Records in January 1981. "Texas Women" and "Dixie on My Mind" were released as singles, both peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and has been certified Gold by the RIAA.

<i>High Notes</i> 1982 studio album by Hank Williams, Jr.

High Notes is the thirty-fourth studio album by American musician Hank Williams, Jr. It was released by Elektra/Curb Records in April 1982, making it Williams' eighth studio album for Elektra/Curb and his ninth overall for the label. While not as successful or acclaimed as some of Williams' more recent recordings, High Notes was still a commercial success. It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA, becoming Williams' seventh album to do so. The album also generated two hit singles, "If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Dixie" and "Honky Tonkin'". "If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Dixie" peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart while "Honky Tonkin'", a song that was originally a number 14 hit written and performed by his father, Hank, Sr., became Hank, Jr.'s sixth Number One hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<i>Strong Stuff</i> 1983 studio album by Hank Williams Jr.

Strong Stuff is the thirty-fifth studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Elektra/Curb Records in February 1983. "Gonna Go Huntin' Tonight" and "Leave Them Boys Alone" were released as singles. The album peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and has been certified Gold by the RIAA.

References

  1. ↑ "Robinson Primary School News". Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  2. ↑ Stratford ISD Education Foundation Archived May 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts :: San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts". Samfa.org. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Binary Options Trading - DWHM Trading" (PDF). Dwhm.org. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  5. ↑ Lingo, K. (January 2007). Reading with Rooster. Southern Living Magazine, 10–11.
  6. ↑ Erickson, J. R. Moonshiner's GoldRooster is married to Jody Barkus Morris. His first wife, Corinna Luna, and he have two children, Lucianna and Isaac. He has two step children with Jody, Joshua and Sebastian. Rooster currently is raising cattle on a small ranch outside Rockdale and is working on a western novel.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 5, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ↑ "Rockdale Reporter". Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ↑ "Children's Book Author Rooster Morris - YouTube". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Reading Rooster - YouTube". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.