Linda Lou Howarth
Special to the Tribune/Advisor
Williams Lake will be very fortunate to have Cowboy and Western Folk singer Ryan Fritz perform at the Longhouse on September 28, for a one night concert.
Ryan is an award-winning singer/songwriter from Longview Alberta who has released six albums to date including his 2019 release of Runaway Remuda.
In 2018 Fritz received the Song of the Year Award for ‘Give A Boy A Rope’ at the Pro Cowboy Country Music Awards in Fort Smith, AR.
For the title song from his album Keeper of the West, Ryan received a prestigious Wrangler Heritage Award in Oklahoma City in 2017 at the National Cowboy and an award at the 2016 Western Heritage Museum’s annual award show for ‘Outstanding Original Western Composition’
Ryan Fritz is not new to Wiliams Lake as he did spend a few years cowboying at Alkali Lake Ranch and The Gang Ranch. He also has his own ranch in Saskatchewan where he raised his family with his wife. Ryan Fritz gets his inspiration for his songs while cowboying on ranches, where he got lots to write about, the life of a cowboy.
Ryan Fritz has shared the stage with performers such as Ian Tyson, Waddie Mitchell. Suzzy Boggus, Michael Martin Murphy, Gary Fjelgaard, Corb Lund and many more!!
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“While growing up in Alberta my music influence was Ian Tyson, when at only 18 years of age I was quite often the only entertainment in cow camps and bunkhouses, Ian Tyson is what I played the most, using my own cowboy experiences and so on and so forth I thought I might send the songs to Ian, never imagining I would be on stage with Ian,” Fritz said. “Being on stage and performing my own songs from Texas to Elko to Alberta never crossed my mind, but I have been doing just that!”
“As time slips by, the top Cowboy and Western singers of today will slip away or retire, (so) I truly see the need for me to continue growing as a songwriter and performer of this genre to carry on history and values to the next generation, plus I will have my son, Hoss, with his bass guitar and mandolin who sings harmony with me. Hoss will play for Ian Tyson and Corb Lund on September 19th at their concert along with the Edmonton Symphony,” Fritz said,
“Reaching our remote towns in the west with a ranching history, like Williams Lake is where I find my people,” Fritz said/
“You can purchase tickets and/or my music at https://ryanfritz.net.”
