Earl Gleason... Earl Gleason grew up along the middle Rio Grande Valley of central New Mexico. At an early age Earl knew he wanted to play the guitar and sing. At the time he was a member of Albuquerque Boy Choir, and when he was about 8 he asked his father for a guitar. This was at the end of WWII and Earl’s father knew it would be hard to find a guitar he could afford. Then one day his father came home with a used Stella guitar, and there begins the story. Earl used that guitar for many years. He taught himself to play it with a little help from a family friend, and any other advice he could pick up. Earl began to write the words and music that were to become the basis for the songs he sings today. By the early 1950s Earl was buying and selling cattle for the family ranch. During a drought he was able to buy cattle at a low price. The following year Earl sold some of those cattle and used the money to by a new Martin D28 guitar. The new guitar cost $760.00, a lot of money in those days and took a big hunk of the cattle profits. It has been well worth the cost. Today the Martin is worth many times what Earl paid for it, and it partners up with him to produce the wonderful stories in song about life gone by in the old west. During the early ‘50s Earl also had the opportunity to sing traditional Country Music on KOB Radio in Albuquerque, New Mexico with Glen Campbell. Earl laughs when he recalls Glen telling him one time “Earl, a guitar has 6 strings and you need to play all of them!” In the ‘60s and ‘70s Earl was the lead singer and songwriter for THE COUNTRY WATCHMEN, a gospel group that toured the southwestern states for 12 years. Earl has been an active member of The Western Music Association, and The Association of Western Artists for many years. He especially enjoys singing the old cowboy songs around the fires at the Chuck Wagon camps. Earl has been writing, singing songs, and talking to people everywhere to encourage interest in preserving the historic sites and songs of the Cowboy days in the old west. The efforts have been successful in saving the historic stockyards in Magdalena, New Mexico. Because he has written and recorded many songs about that area the people call him “Mr. Magdalena” and he will be featured in the museum being planned there. Earl’s music is already featured in three other New Mexico museums and one in Texas. In 2006 the song “Springerville” that Earl wrote and recorded on his CD “The Drovers” was in the top ten nominations for National Western Music Association Song of the Year. Another song recorded on that CD, written by Jerry Campbell and Bob Wagoner was in the top five. In 2006 Earl also tied for first place as Male Yodeler of the Year at the National Western Music Association Show. In 2008 Earl released two new CDs, “Saturday Nite” and “Wanderers” recorded at Red Cliff Sound Studio in Durango, Colorado, and engineered by Gary Cook. They received both and excellent and superb ratings. Along with raising cattle and singing, Earl put in over 25 years with the Albuquerque, New Mexico Fire Dept. After he retired in 1985 Earl sold the family ranches in southwestern New Mexico and with his wife Darla moved a few miles south of Albuquerque to the Belen area. They have a 30 acre farm where Earl continues to raise cattle and write songs. While traveling to shows Earl has had the opportunity to teach history classes at both Junior and High Schools in Texas and New Mexico. He really enjoys singing and talking to the young people about history of the west.   You can contact Earl Gleason by clicking the link below. Just click here > Earl Gleason

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