Rick Huff's Review in The Western Way magazine fall 2023 of Once I Was A Cowboy

"Despite Joel's admission of creative embellishment, truth blows through these songs with a whistle and grit. The lyrics of all six are wistfully ironic and deal with times past and choices made.

Joel White is a former cowboy and an accomplished vocalist/guitarist who represents his songs with style."

Oct 16, 2023

Big news, Joel has been nominated for Songwriter of the year 2023 in the IWMA. Once I Was A Cowboy has been nominated for Working Cowboy song of the year along with Last Of The Four Sixes Cowboys, a cowrite with Allan Chapman. Winners will be announced November 11 at the Awards Banquet at the IWMA Convention. Good Luck To All Nominees!

Week ending July 17, 2023

Red Dirt Girl is #1 on the Roots Radio Weekly

Top 50 Country Song Chart, Top 50 American country Song Chart, and the Top 50 Texas Song Chart

Magnolia Wind is #2 on the Root Radio Weekly

Top 50 Country Song Chart, Top 50 American country Song Chart, and the Top 50 Texas Song Chart

"The first time I heard Joel White was at an open mic and I was stunned by the soul of his voice and his ability to tell a story in a way that makes you feel like it is your own. It was my mission to get him to perform at our venue, which he has done several times since. He never disappoints!" 
Kristy Fuller 
Event Coordinator 
Chalice Abbey 
Amarillo, TX

The title of the release is “Once I Was A Cowboy.” Joel is a talented “songster” who draws inspiration from the greats like Steve Earle, Kris Kristofferson, and John Prine. There's lots to like on this disc and Joel is backed up by a solid core of top-notch musicians.

Chuckaroo TheBuckaroo

 88.9 KPOV FM

Once I Was A Cowboy will be released 6/24/23 to over 75 Western Radio stations and Western Programs

Joel White “Once I Was A Cowboy” 

“Once I Was A Cowboy is the self-released EP dedicated wholly to the western way of life by Joel White. Joel is an Amarillo, Texas-based Americana and roots country singer-songwriter. Its 6 original songs reveal part of the story of where he hails from, his history and beliefs. “This EP tells a story of my aspiration to be a cowboy and my life as a cowboy in West Texas,” says White, who writes songs based on personal experience – either his own, those of others he knows, or closely related to some life experience that he’s had. That’s not to say that they have not been embellished; all good stories have an element of truth and fiction. “They are my truth and are all drawn from who I am and what I know,” says White. Born and raised in small-town West Texas, he is the son of a mostly Scotch-Irish father, who he says could tell a story like no other and a mother who was of German descent. White has changed careers frequently – from cowboying on ranches that are measured not in acres but by square miles to owning construction companies and even a commercial laundry. But it’s music that has always called to him. Surrounded by music his whole life and by friends who play and write songs, White says he has no choice but to write as well. “If I’m not inspired, then I’m not writing a song,” says White. “Usually, a story needs to be told or a phrase just rolls off the tongue to trigger whatever it is inside of me that encourages me to write,” he continues. Although he usually writes the poetry and then composes the music appropriate to the lyrics, White acknowledges that’s not always the case. “There is one rule in songwriting and that is ‘there are no rules.” All Songs were written by White except Last Of The Four 6’s Cowboys, which is a cowrite with Allan Chapman. Adding their musical chops to White’s musical poetry, vocals and guitar playing are Cody Braun (fiddle, mandolin, & harmonica), Merel Bregante (drums, percussion, & background vocals), Michael Dorrien (acoustic & electric guitars), Mark Epstein (acoustic, fretted & electric bass), Dave Pearlman (pedal steel), Sarah Pierce (background vocals), Pete Wasner, Steinway acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Accordion, & Hammond B3 ). 

1. Once I Was A Cowboy (4:20)    From the Time I could walk I wanted to be a cowboy. I was once. 
2.Saltines, Smokes, and Beer (3:48) As a young boy I sat on the porch of an old cowboy listening to stories as I watched the dust stir from his corral. 
3.Stare Into The Fire (2:49) At some point you get too old to do the things of your youth. I saw it from other men, but I had to learn that lesson on my own. 
4.Rooster (4:06) The man in the song is a composite of three men I knew, one named Rooster who did play the fiddle. 
5. Last Of The Four 6’s Cowboys (3;07) Some cowboys never quit, they cowboy until they die. 
6. Ballad For Blue (2:55) True story of my dog blue.