Prior to his unfortunate death in 2001, Kyle Evans, a South Dakotan country music recording artist and entertainer, visited the Huron Arena in April of 1994 for an interview with local radio host, Chuck Anderson.
During his 20 years within the music industry, Evans traveled throughout the United States, playing in over 1,500 professional rodeo performances, the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas, Miss America Rodeo Pageants, and numerous other venues alongside Kitty Wells, Hank Thompson, Tex Ritter and many other notable country artists of the time.
As a proud Midwest native, Evans set up his own recording studio, Company Cowboy Productions in Wessington Springs, SD. Between his own recordings and those produced in Nashville, TN, Evans created 18 studio albums throughout his lifetime.
During his interview with Anderson, Evans credited his overall success to his humble beginnings, listening to his guitar-strumming father and gospel-singing mother.
From playing for spare change to being inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame, Evans fashioned a stable career and notability throughout the country music world with sounds from a borrowed guitar and a few other musicians, forming the Company Cowboys Band.
Evans went on to play an abundance of rodeo gigs, including a tour with La Costa, Tanya Tucker’s sister.
Throughout his career, Evans played covers of popular rodeo tunes, but also wrote a few of his own, including the song “Legend Known as Casey”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tf88qlWYSo
Evans held a special fascination for Tibbs after years of listening to tales surrounding the cowboy legend.
Inspired by those neighboring him, Evans crafted songs surrounding other cowboys and ranchers, including “The Hustler”, a song on Vern Whitaker, a rodeo cowboy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4I06dL1368
Continually inspired by his surroundings, Evans never lost his appreciation for South Dakotan ethics and peaceful living.
Unfortunately, Evans passed away at the age of 54 on July 5th, 2001 after his motorcycle collided with a deer on Highway 34, east of his home in Wessington Springs. While no longer living, Evans’ cowboy sounds can still be heard at local rodeo grounds and throughout his song collections.
For Chuck Anderson's full interview with Kyle Evans, listen here.