Ray Owens has performed all over the southwestern United States,
and has been a featured performer at the following gatherings and events:
- Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering, Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott, AZ
- Bootheel Cowboy Poetry Fiesta, Lordsburg, NM
- National Cowboy Symposium and Celebration, Lubbock, TX
- Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering, Sierra Vista, AZ
- The First Annual Cheyenne Cowboy Symposium, Cheyenne, WY
- The Ozark Folk Center Cowboy Gathering, Mountain View, AR
Fans of Ray say . . . .
"At a time when the Western culture is being replaced and forgotten in many quarters,
it is wise to keep it alive. Ray Owens brings it to life and touches the lives of many
while doing so through his personal and humorous poetry."
Gary Nickelson
President of Southeastern New Mexico Historical Society
"Ray's fellow cowboy poets at any gathering can attest to his outstanding creative
talents, his knowledge about ranching and working cowboys, and his understanding of
cowboy poetry and its importance to helping non-ranch people gain an appreciation for
the cowboy lifestyle.
Ray has earned a fine reputation among his gathering colleagues and audiences.
Not only is he an excellent cowboy poet, but he is also one of the finest people that I know."
Anita "Nika" Nordbrock, Ph.D.
Cowboy Poet Wrangler and Assistant Curator of Education, Sharlot Hall Museum
"Ray delivers a great poem whether he is reciting one of his own insightful
and well-written poems or one of the old time classics. He entertains and
thrills his audiences. When he does 'I'd Like to be in Texas When They Roundup in The Spring,'
you smell the fire, you see and hear the men, horses, and cows, and you want to be there, too. "
John Shaver
Founder and Co-Chair, Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering
"As a performer of cowboy poetry and music myself, I meet a lot of talented
people. In my opinion, Ray Owens is right up there at the top! His poetry is well crafted,
in fact, one might say, 'honed to perfection'. It covers the gamut from tears to laughter.
His delivery is straight forward, unaffected, sincere. In addition, to all that, Ray sings
the great old cowboy songs the way they were surely intended, and is a true western gentleman
in every sense of the word. "
Dee Strickland Johnson
AKA Buckshot Dot