I seem to find inspiration in so many places, but to be honest I have to say that Deadwood, South Dakota was one of the best! The band and I left from Nashville, Tenn. on a very cold day with less than desirable weather conditions. Our first stop was a casino in a state I'm not gonna mention, in a city that I'm not gonna mention because needless to say it was not a great experience. I hate being a Debbie Downer and you didn't come here to hear me complain, so let's talk about the good parts! (LOL) Before we arrived in Deadwood we stopped in Rapid City to visit with my friend Sarah, and what a welcome visit it was. After hours and hours of driving in the cold and dangerous icy roads; we were welcomed with open arms, a warm and cozy home, and a meal fit for a king! I could have stayed there forever. Everything around us was so beautiful and snow white from the soft white powder that God had blessed us with the night before. After a good nap and full bellys we made our way the next morning to take a step back in time. And when I say a step back in time, I mean it! Deadwood made me feel like I had stepped into one of the old westerns I watched with my grandpa over and over again as a child. I could not have been more excited. A dream come true, once again I marked one of my must do before I die things off my list! The history of the old west and all its mysteries and stories seemed to saturate every building and street of that little city. We played several nights at The Ten Saloon. Even though it was not the original building, it was named for the well known saloon that the legendary gunman Wild Bill Hickock was shot by Jack McCall at a poker game in 1876! I couldn't get enough of the stories that the locals would tell us about the lawmen and the outlaws that used to walk the streets.
On the last day of our show I met and man and woman whose family had lived in Deadwood for many generations. They both came to watch us perform the night before and invited and came back to invite us to visit their western apparel store to pick out anything we wanted for a SUPSTAINAL discount! (LOL practically free) I picked the hat you see above. A Bailey Renegade in olive drab green.
For years I wore this hat without ever changing it, but something inside of me kept saying it had to pay homage to my time in Deadwood. So, I present to you THE DEADWOOD LEGEND! I wanted to tip my hat to the history and people that were so wonderful to us during our stay. The hat band is from an old pillow case I picked up in a little store, because I have a thing for having my on pillow and pillowcase ( some of you will understand that ) I added velvet because it reminded me of the long heavy old velvet curtain that hung in one of the casinos. And of course it wouldnt be a Deadwood legend hat without a picture of Wild Bill himself and a bullet and bullet hole in the crown to symbolize his tragic death by a shot in the head at a poker game at The Ten Saloon! I hope you can use this as some inspiration for one of your own designs! Happy Trials, Faith!