From Rodeo Rings to Country Stages

Some country stars just sing about cowboy life. Others live it. Meet three artists who traded bucking broncs and bulls for guitars and tour buses, and they brought real rodeo grit with them.

Wade Forster, a rising star from Australia, was ranch-raised and rodeo-tough. Before anyone heard him sing, he was chasing rodeo dreams across the Outback. After picking up a guitar, Forster began sharing covers online and quickly gained traction. He went on to win a major Aussie country music competition, and now he’s lighting up stages in the U.S.

Ryan Bingham was born in New Mexico and started riding bulls professionally as a teen. But music pulled him in early. He spent years grinding in honky tonks before signing a record deal. His big break came with Crazy Heart, where he not only wrote the music but won an Oscar for Best Original Song. And yes, that’s him showing off cowboy skills on Yellowstone.

Chancey Williams rounds out the list. A Wyoming native and former saddle bronc champ, just like his dad, Williams turned his rodeo fame into a music career. With five albums under his belt, he’s now a regular on the touring circuit.

These aren’t country singers playing cowboy. They’re cowboys who brought the dust and danger of the rodeo straight to the country charts, and fans can’t get enough.