Pederson, Lewis III
Websites:
No
Origin:
Abbey, Saskatchewan → High River, Alberta, 🇨🇦
Biography:
Lewis Martin Pederson III is a prairie cowboy singer, poet, and raconteur whose work grows directly out of lived ranch and rodeo experience. A rancher and farmer by trade, Pederson has spent his life moving easily between the working world of cattle, horses, and saddles, and the storytelling traditions that animate Western Canadian culture. His songs, recitations, and recordings reflect a dry wit and plainspoken honesty shaped by years spent both inside the arena and alongside the people who make rodeo their life.
Pederson first came to wider attention in the mid-1970s with Rodeo No. 1 Sport, a concept album that traces the arc of a rodeo day “from Grand Entry to the last bull ride.” Written and delivered from an insider’s perspective, the album blends humour, respect for the sport, and a keen eye for detail, capturing the rituals, characters, and contradictions of rodeo life. The title song became his signature piece and remained his calling card, later revisited and reworked as his career evolved.
His second album, Nashville Nights, broadened his sound while staying firmly rooted in cowboy themes. Issued on his own Chokecherry label, the record leaned toward a tougher, blues-tinged country feel and reflected Pederson’s goal of making music meant to be enjoyed on the open road. Throughout his recordings, his priorities remained consistent: songs that make people smile, stories that ring true, and performances that feel conversational rather than polished for their own sake.
Beyond records, Pederson built a long and durable reputation as a live entertainer. Over more than four decades he has performed across Western Canada and beyond, from major centres to small prairie towns, mixing songs with cowboy poetry and spoken-word recitations. His appearances have included community halls, regional events, and major gatherings such as the Calgary Stampede, as well as poetry performances in places like Pincher Creek, Medicine Hat, and Maple Creek. Whether singing or speaking, his work has always been grounded in humour, observation, and an affection for the people and places he writes about.
Pederson’s storytelling also extends to the page through his book Cowboy Philosophy, which mirrors the reflective, gently comic tone found in his music. In later years, his connection to working cowboy culture remained central to his identity. He has been associated with the historic Bar U Ranch—Canada’s only national historic site devoted exclusively to ranching—where he has been known to run the saddle shop, continuing to share stories, skills, and perspective in a setting deeply tied to Western heritage.
Taken together, Lewis Pederson III’s body of work stands as a distinctly Canadian cowboy voice—one shaped by real experience, sustained by humour, and committed to keeping the lived traditions of rodeo and ranch life alive through song, story, and performance.
-Robert Williston
