'Real-Life Cowboy' comes to Marlborough
By Angela Greiner Community Reporter

Marlborough - Dressed in real-life western garb and armed with a guitar, banjo, harmonica and mandolin, Skip Gorman will share stories and music of the Old West. Gorman, otherwise known as the "Real-Life Cowboy," will perform in the newly remodeled gym of the Bigelow School, 57 Orchards St. in Marlborough, Wednesday Feb. 20 at 1 p.m., followed by a music-making workshop at 2:15.

Gorman was introduced to music at the age of 8, when he received a guitar and a Jimmie Rogers record. A graduate of Brown University, Gorman went to graduate school in Utah, where he began collecting rare recordings of cowboy music and learning the cowboy lifestyle firsthand by working on ranches.

Gorman has performed with bluegrass great Frank Wakefield and with the Desert String Band. His recordings include fiddle tunes and solo instrumental performances like "Cowboy Waltz," which was featured in a Ken Burns documentary. In 1995, Gorman's recording "A Greener Prairie" was named a top-10 folk recording of the year by the Boston Globe, and in 1999, with the release of "A Cowboy's Wild Song to his Herd," he was named a top-10 folk recording artist of the year by Amazon.com.

Prompted by the desire to teach children about the history of the West that is contrary to the violence portrayed by Hollywood, Gorman aims to teach the story of courageous settlers, life on the range, cowgirls, the Gold Rush, Native Americans, the transcontinental railroad and the hardship of life on the prairies.

The local performance is sponsored by the Arts Alliance. Tickets are $7 in advance and $9 at the door. After the performance, the in-depth music-making workshop will cost $15 at the door. A special discount price for a combination of show and workshop tickets is $20 when purchased in advance.

For more information about this or any other events sponsored by the Arts Alliance, visit the website at www.upwitharts.org or call 978-562-1646.