Templeton Thompson: Must Hear Country Singer & Horse Woman

Mar 01, 2010 1 Comment by Jackie

I recently had the very distinct pleasure of meeting Templeton Thompson and attending a fantastic acoustic concert at the Thoroughbred Theater with her and her husband Sam Gay. If you (like I unfortunately wasn’t) aren’t familiar with Templeton and her music, you NEED to read on, listen, and get to know this wonderful horsewoman and country music artist.

Templeton is a country singer and songwriter. Besides writing and performing her own music, she has also written and sung back-up vocals for country greats like Reba McIntyre, Jo Dee Messina, and Little Texas. (Be sure to visit her site to read about her credentials in the country music industry).

What really sets Templeton apart however, is that she has combined her two greatest loves: horses and music. She sings about the relationship between Girls and Horses as well as performs from the back of her beloved mare, Jane. I’ll admit (sorry Tempy, you know I love you!), at first I thought the concept of singing about horses might be on the hokey side. That was until I met Templeton and saw her perform live. Her songs are exceptionally well-written and she is a wonderful live performer (and in this world of auto-tune and studios tweaking the heck out of recordings, that’s huge in my book).

Not all of her songs are about horses, but the ones that are are beautiful and cleverly written so that they appeal to the horse-lovers and non-horsey folk alike. One of my favorites is “When I Get That Pony Rode.”

It starts:

Face down in the dirt
every inch of me hurts
guess it wasn’t such a perfect landing

Which made me laugh a lot. The pre-chorus goes:

I guess that’s what you get when you leap
you don’t always end up on your feet

And the chorus:

Oh, there’s easier ways I could go
But deep down inside me I know
I’ll really have something to show
When I get that pony rode

It’s a perfect example of a song that we can relate to on a horsey level as well as a life level.

I also really love “Shouldn’t We All” – which Templeton also calls the Dirty Bird song. It starts

early monday mornin’
bluesin’ `bout these bills i got to pay
ain’t no way
lately luck’s been such a stranger
hard times just keep rainin’ down on me
poor, poor me
i look outside the window
the world seems so alive
all of god’s creations
out there soakin’ up the sunshine

yeah the birds are doin’ it
all up in the trees
they sing their little hearts out
baby why can’t we
be makin’ love, makin’ hay
enjoyin’ the ride every day
ain’t sweatin’ a thing
just havin’ a ball
shouldn’t we all
hay, shouldn’t we all

Besides her wonderful music, Templeton is just a beautiful soul. I loved watching her and Sam perform together. They were funny, charming, obviously in love, and look like they just have a blast doing what they love together. They and their music is positive, upbeat, and lots of fun.

Here’s one of the horsey one’s that is going to be used as the theme song on Frankie Lovato’s upcoming DVD “What It Takes To Be A Jockey”:

“Wishin You Wings” is another inspirational beauty:

Templeton was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for me. Here’s an exclusive interview with Templeton about combining her love of horses and music. I left it in her words so you can see that beautiful soul coming through.

How did you get into horses?

Well, like the ROCKSTAR Chris Stafford says, “I’ve been riding since I was knee high to a fetlock.” I’ve been around horses since I was born, thanks to my beautifull mamasita they are like breathin’ for me.

How did you get into music?

Well, I’ve been a music lover my whole life, grew up listening to folks who still continue to inspire me like Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Don Williams, Michael Martin Murphey & the list goes on & on.

What made you decide to combine the two?

God. Totally organic & not me at all. I guess I’ve been writing songs about horses my whole life & being able to combine my two loves just happened…I credit my association with EAGALA (the equine assisted growth & learning association) for inspiring me to make my first album, I remember you, back in ’03 & the rest is history I reckon…

Of all the songs you’ve written, do you have a favorite?

I guess I’m pretty partial to “Girls & Horses”, that song just fell out over the course of a small amount of time & it has been such a gift…I still get teary eyed when I see videos folks have made on YouTube & other places using my song…I’m overwhelmed by the kind words people have said about it, I just feel so blessed to have that horse gene that, like we talked about, once you have it, you have it. I am in awe that I get to wake up everyday to my big, beautifull 4~legged guardian angels, my Jane & my Beau (or, i reckon it’s the other way ’round like you say about your beautifull boy ace, THEY own us!! ).

[Jackie says: I had this song stuck in my head for about a week after the concert]

What’s the most difficult thing about what you do?

Well, I guess it would be the fact that Sam & I wear all the “hats” in our work…we do everything from writing, recording, producing, booking, book keeping, artist management to being artists out on the road & if we’re not doing ALL of those things, we’re not making a living & it’s a funny thing, I still can’t convince our mortgage company to let us pay them with exposure;) ~~(i’m working on that independently wealthy thing so i can be a cowgirl of leisure one of these fine, beautifull days, you know, eat bon bons, spend time with my herd & write BIG FAT checks to causes i believe in, yee ha, THAT’S gonna ROCK!!!=) Honestly, it’s exhausting sometimes, sometimes it just seems like too much & when I get to that place, which, honestly, is right about where I am now, I just have to stop, refill the well, go love on my big kids, on my whole herd, renew & get back in the artist saddle & know that I am doing what I LOVE to do, that i’m blessed to get to do this & the job(s) that i’m doing are in fact the job(s) I signed on for.

What is the most rewarding?

Performing with my ROCKSTAR cowboy, Sam, with my ROCKSTAR mare, my baby girl,Jane, seeing & hearing people singing along to our tunes, that just floors me (happy tears), performing for kids & seeing them light up around Jane (more happy tears=) the creative aspects of what we do, the writing, the recording, the singin’=)….& the 2 & 4~leggeds we get to meet because of what we do (like YOU beautifull cowgirl!:)…music & horses, horses & music, they keep making this incredible planet cowgirl smaller & smaller, i LOVE it!!!!

What’s the most important life lesson you’ve learned from a horse?

To be in the now, to take the word worry out of my vocabulary, they remind me to never take myself to seriously, that EVERYTHING takes the time it takes & that ultimately, it’s all good… Jane & Beau teach me all of this & more every moment of every day (I wish I could say that I pull all of this off everyday, I can’t, but, I can say that I certainly try.

Templeton’s Music and Planet Cowgirl

You can get buy Templeton’s music from her website and while you’re there be sure to check out her performance schedule (and don’t miss out if she’s coming to your area!). She also has a line of t-shirts and sweatshirts at Planet Cowgirl that are lots of fun for us horsey girls. I have “peace, love, and horsiness” and have been wearing it just about every other day.