Saddle Lake Drifting Cowboys ‎

Websites:  No
Origin: Saddle Lake Cree Nation (Spedden), Alberta, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Formed in 1977 under the leadership of guitarist, vocalist, and band manager Edwin Quinney, the Saddle Lake Drifting Cowboys were a proud country and rock & roll group from Saddle Lake, Alberta. The band was made up entirely of Cree musicians from Saddle Lake Tribe #125, with the exception of blind Métis fiddle player Clarence Desjarlais of Lac La Biche. Rounding out the lineup were Archie Steinhauer on rhythm guitar, Ronnie Quinney on bass, and Vern Cardinal on drums.

A country boy at heart, Quinney was born in 1947 into a family of thirteen children on the Saddle Lake Indian Reserve. Raised on a working farm without electricity, he grew up listening to battery-powered radio and was captivated by the sound of Hank Williams. His love of music developed early—singing alongside his mother at Full Gospel church gatherings and later working on the farm to buy his first guitar from the Eaton’s catalogue. Guided by his uncle, who lived nearby and played guitar himself, Quinney taught himself chords from a booklet that came with the instrument and spent countless hours practicing between classes at the local R. B. Steinhauer Protestant Day School.

By the late 1970s, Quinney had learned guitar, fiddle, and bass and recognized the need for live music in his community. In 1977 he formed the Saddle Lake Drifting Cowboys—a band that not only provided entertainment but also encouraged sobriety and fellowship through music. Their repertoire ranged from country waltzes and two-steps to blues, boogie, and early rock and roll. The group quickly became one of Alberta’s busiest live acts, performing at rodeos, weddings, community banquets, and fundraisers across the province. They even appeared on CKSA-TV in Lloydminster in 1978.

In June 1982, the Saddle Lake Drifting Cowboys traveled to New York City, where they recorded their first and only LP, Country and Rock & Roll Sound (SL 001/82), at Dawn Recording Studio. The all-original, all-instrumental album captures the dual spirit of the band: Side A highlights their country roots with melodic waltzes and relaxed country instrumentals, while Side B shifts gears into five driving rock and roll numbers that showcase their energetic live sound. The record culminates with “Modern Rock,” a standout track that later gained international attention through its inclusion on the Grammy-nominated and Juno Award–winning compilation Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966–1985 (Light in the Attic, 2014).

A follow-up live cassette, Live at New York, was also issued shortly afterward. Approximately 1,000 copies of both the LP and cassette were produced and sold locally and at performances, making them highly sought-after regional artifacts today.

Though the band remained a weekend pursuit—each member holding full-time work, with Quinney himself serving in the accounts department for Indian Affairs and later as a member of the local Tribal Council—they continued performing regularly until 1994.

Desjarlais passed away in 2007, but the group’s spirit lives on in Saddle Lake and surrounding communities. A framed, autographed copy of Country and Rock & Roll Sound still hangs proudly on the wall of a liquor outlet in nearby Foisy, a lasting reminder of the band’s joy and determination.
-Robert Williston