Hightower descendant to perform free

The Wayside Inn Museum, Preserve Our Past Society of El Dorado Springs, is proud to present cowboy poet and singer/songwriter Johnny Kendrick for our annual meeting, Monday, April 9, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the museum in beautiful downtown El Dorado Springs. We are excited to have Mr. Kendrick come as our guest as he is a multitalented individual along with being a descendant of the “Hightowers”, who played a rather huge part of history in our town.

Johnny Kendrick is a farmer-stockman who lives and works the family farm on Midwestern tallgrass prairie land at the western edge of Central Missouri. Lifelong passions for song and the American West feed his desire to trace the history of the Cowboy through music. He is a co-founder of the mainstay of “Echoes of the Trails: A Western History Conference and Cowboy Poetry Gathering” held annually in Fort Scott, KS. A song he wrote for that gathering has been recorded by several other artists, and has been called “a modern classic.” He performs regularly at gatherings, festivals, schools and other events around the country. His recordings have received excellent reviews, and are frequently featured on western music radio stations and electronic distribution services.

With his sons, who grew up listening to stories and songs about the West, he performs as “The Branchy Boys.” With Sam on fiddle and Jackson switching off, on guitar and bass, they perform a variety of bluegrass, gospel and western songs with strong individual and harmony vocals, and acclaimed musicianship.

Come see our beautiful museum and enjoy snacks beginning at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 9, and welcome our very talented special guest, Johnny Kendrick. We are working on projects to preserve our past, including our annex to house the senior composites that were removed from the high school and military tribute and would like to share that information with you. Please come out for a fun filled evening. Admission is free.