This Week in the West

This Week in the West: Foghorn Clancy

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🤠This Week in the West

🎙️ Episode 26: Foghorn Clancy

📢 Episode Summary:

In this episode of This Week in The West, we share the remarkable story of Frederick Melton "Foghorn" Clancy, a cowboy whose booming voice made him one of rodeo's most iconic announcers. Born in 1882 in Alabama and raised in Texas, Clancy began working ranch jobs young and initially dreamed of being a rodeo champion. After a short-lived bronc riding career, his powerful voice led him to a decades-long career as the premier voice of rodeo, announcing at major events like Cheyenne Frontier Days and Madison Square Garden.

Beyond his announcing, Clancy was instrumental in promoting rodeos nationwide, often arriving in towns weeks ahead of events to build excitement. He also became rodeo's first historian, documenting the sport's origins and publishing influential works like My Fifty Years in Rodeo. Over his career, Clancy befriended Western legends like Will Rogers and Gene Autry, preserving the stories and spirit of early rodeo life.

Despite financial hardships, including a failed Wild West show venture during the Great Depression, Clancy remained dedicated to the rodeo world. His later years were spent writing and traveling with his wife, Alice, and their five children. In 1991, long after his passing in 1957, Clancy was honored with induction into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame, ensuring his legacy endures.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

  • How Foghorn Clancy’s powerful voice helped shape the early rodeo industry.
  • The vital role he played in promoting, documenting and preserving the history of American rodeo.
  • Stories of Clancy’s friendships with Western legends like Will Rogers and Gene Autry.

    • 👥 Behind the Scenes

    Host: Seth Spillman
    Producer: Chase Spivey
    Writer: Mike Koehler

    🔗 Further research:

    • Cowboy Jazz, a 1920 film about the sport featuring Clancy: https://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/chicago-rodeo-1920
    • A Brief History of Rodeo from Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brief-history-rodeo-180980341/
    • A feature on Clancy from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article283852478.html

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      This Week in the WestBy The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum