leanin' H
Well-known member
One of the funniest, brilliant, truly western characters of this generation. I'm glad he went fairly fast and didn't linger. But oh how I will miss Mr. Black. Rest well compadre!!!!
Lost a legend. š¢
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One of the funniest, brilliant, truly western characters of this generation. I'm glad he went fairly fast and didn't linger. But oh how I will miss Mr. Black. Rest well compadre!!!!
Haytrucker
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He made us laugh at ourselves, cause I guess we do funny things once in a while. I remember reading "On the edge of common sense" and Lee Pitts column in the Record Stockman in the '80s. Have two autographed books that will never be for sale.
jodywy
Well-known member
He was at WSGA a few years ago, he did the evening entertainment. He also had a booth selling his books and CDs. Barrowed my pocketknife to open boxes then brought it back at lunch program and sat at our table. Think I seen his show 7-8 times over the years. the last few it didn't change much.
leanin' H
Well-known member
I went to a poetry contest a few years ago. Had a lot of fun and even won a pretty cool buckle in a horse race. Story for another day.
The contest winner got to open for Baxter. I was runner up. I didn't get to meet him but the young man who won the contest said that Baxter was amazing. He gave wonderful advice, signed autographs for one and all and couldn't of been nicer. I sure wish I coulda met him. Even if I would of won, I wouldn't of been there. Had an emergency at home and had to run home. I've read more of his articles than I can count. Loved his books too. He is just a treasure. Such a wonderful advocate for ranching.
The contest winner got to open for Baxter. I was runner up. I didn't get to meet him but the young man who won the contest said that Baxter was amazing. He gave wonderful advice, signed autographs for one and all and couldn't of been nicer. I sure wish I coulda met him. Even if I would of won, I wouldn't of been there. Had an emergency at home and had to run home. I've read more of his articles than I can count. Loved his books too. He is just a treasure. Such a wonderful advocate for ranching.
gcreekrch
Well-known member
Met Baxter at a BCCattlemens Asso. AGM years back at Merritt BC. He was the evening entertainment and I was manning a booth for a guy I once sold bulls for.
Baxter sat beside me at the back of the meeting room and we visited quietly for a couple of hours.
Years later he gave me permission to use his poem "Goodbye Old Man" with a few name changes at an old friends Memorial. He remembered our visit at the meeting.
Very talented and humble individual off the stage.
Baxter sat beside me at the back of the meeting room and we visited quietly for a couple of hours.
Years later he gave me permission to use his poem "Goodbye Old Man" with a few name changes at an old friends Memorial. He remembered our visit at the meeting.
Very talented and humble individual off the stage.
leanin' H
Well-known member
Mr. Black
The ain't no way to quantify, how much he meant to me, but I thought I'd write a little, so maybe all of you can see,
How Baxter Black inspired me,to take a paper and a pen, and try to document my heritage, by writing now and then.
I never went to college or learned proper writing technique.
I was always far more comfortable, Sitting on an old saddle seat.
Before he came riding into my life, poetry, to me, was just Shakespeare,
It was frilly wigs and thee's and thou's were scattered everywhere.
Baxter spoke my language, his credibility he'd earned,
When he wrote about things like a prolapsed cow, it was because he had truly learned,
Through his own experience, by working side by side, with ranchers and with farmers, and he always had great pride,
In this ranching life and tradition, he truly championed our cause.
His writing made us laugh, at us, and even think about our flaws.
And maybe that's what made him grand, and so loved by me and you.
He was like our west, bigger than life, but still humble, kind and true.
How I treasure this man I never met, how I'm glad he touched my life.
And he helped me with his poetry, to get through sorrow, grief and strife.
I can't count the times, my side just ached, from laughing at his writing. And other times, he brought me to my knees, with emotions I was fighting.
We cannot replace this icon, this giant of the west. But every time I write another poem, I'll do my level best,
To follow in his boot tracks, to express in written word, what it's like to be a rancher, and to care for land and herd.
To use humor, truth and experience in everything I write, and to always be like Baxter, and share my own small light.
I'm sure grateful, he brightened my life, with his gift for cowboy prose. And I'm sure he's up in heaven and I'd go so far as to suppose,
He will keep right on a writing, now that he's reached the other side. See, Baxter is a cowboy and a cowboy's got to ride.
Farewell to you my mentor, you master poet, Ranchers friend.
He left us all a legacy, and it's one that'll never end!
Darrell Holden
June 2022
The ain't no way to quantify, how much he meant to me, but I thought I'd write a little, so maybe all of you can see,
How Baxter Black inspired me,to take a paper and a pen, and try to document my heritage, by writing now and then.
I never went to college or learned proper writing technique.
I was always far more comfortable, Sitting on an old saddle seat.
Before he came riding into my life, poetry, to me, was just Shakespeare,
It was frilly wigs and thee's and thou's were scattered everywhere.
Baxter spoke my language, his credibility he'd earned,
When he wrote about things like a prolapsed cow, it was because he had truly learned,
Through his own experience, by working side by side, with ranchers and with farmers, and he always had great pride,
In this ranching life and tradition, he truly championed our cause.
His writing made us laugh, at us, and even think about our flaws.
And maybe that's what made him grand, and so loved by me and you.
He was like our west, bigger than life, but still humble, kind and true.
How I treasure this man I never met, how I'm glad he touched my life.
And he helped me with his poetry, to get through sorrow, grief and strife.
I can't count the times, my side just ached, from laughing at his writing. And other times, he brought me to my knees, with emotions I was fighting.
We cannot replace this icon, this giant of the west. But every time I write another poem, I'll do my level best,
To follow in his boot tracks, to express in written word, what it's like to be a rancher, and to care for land and herd.
To use humor, truth and experience in everything I write, and to always be like Baxter, and share my own small light.
I'm sure grateful, he brightened my life, with his gift for cowboy prose. And I'm sure he's up in heaven and I'd go so far as to suppose,
He will keep right on a writing, now that he's reached the other side. See, Baxter is a cowboy and a cowboy's got to ride.
Farewell to you my mentor, you master poet, Ranchers friend.
He left us all a legacy, and it's one that'll never end!
Darrell Holden
June 2022
Faster horses
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That was perfect, 'H. THANK YOU!
Haytrucker
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Yep, very fitting tribute. Any of you remember him talking about a junior high girls basketball game? I still laugh about that analogy!
leanin' H
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That one cracked me up too.
Mountain Cowgirl
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I never met Baxter but was inspired by his storytelling, poetry, and humor. He was sort of a cowboy Ray Stevens. I still enjoy watching his videos on You Tube. I like the one about cows being dumb and the look on his horse's face as to say, "You saddled me up for this? Can you get on with it, please." 
webfoot
Well-known member
They did a pretty good tribute to Baxter tonight on the Cowboy Channel. It included him doing a poem about a cowboy dying and going to heaven and what to expect. It ended with "God needed one more cowboy and Baxter fit right in." Then he said this is Baxter Black signing off from up there as he motioned toward the sky.
webfoot
Well-known member
In that tribute last night they talked with Red Steagall. Red had been a friend of Baxter's for many years. He said that for the last 3 years Baxter would have difficulty talking when Red called him. Makes me wonder if he had some sort of throat cancer or similar ailment.
leanin' H
Well-known member
From what I read it was leukemia and a combination of dementia. But that was just online stuff and no guarantee of accuracy.
Mountain Cowgirl
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That is what I heard and read. It makes me sad when anyone gets dementia, especially someone of Baxter's talent and age. A great loss for the ranching community.
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