(Back)

Herald & Review / Carlos T. Miranda
Randy Erwin demonstrates a rope trick to a group of children
at the Moweaqua Lion's Club Wednesday morning as part library's
summer reading program "Explore the Reading Trail."

Moweaqua Public Library program welcomes cowboy performer Randy Erwin

By JESSICA YOUNGS - H&R Staff Writer
Thursday, June 24, 2004

MOWEAQUA - Moos and howls could be heard emanating from the Moweaqua Lions Club building Wednesday as children "Explore(d) the Reading Trail" with performer Randy Erwin.

Erwin, the yodeling voice of bad guy Almeda Slim in Disney's "Home on the Range," sang and yodeled cowboy songs and performed rope tricks to the delight of about 60 children for Moweaqua Public Library's second performance for their summer reading series, "Explore the Reading Trail."

"It was fun," said Gabe O'Brien, 9, whose favorite part of the hour-long performance was "when (Erwin) had tricks."

Erwin said he will be visiting about 120 libraries all over Illinois, Indiana and Missouri this summer, performing for children.

"He was new and different because we hadn't had him before," said librarian Barbara Collins.

Erwin's cowboy performance career began 21 years ago when he decided he wanted to sing and moved from his home of Ganado, Texas, to Dallas. His unique yodeling voice, which is not too "country, classic or alpine" helped land him the yodeling voice of Almeda for his big number.

Yodeling for Disney has been Erwin's "stamp of approval," he said, and because Disney did not have to redo a yodeling voice for the "Home on the Range" 32-language release, Erwin is hoping his career will get another big push.