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Kenny Feidler’s voice sounds exactly how a rodeo cowboy turned country music singer’s should when you envision a bronc rider at the microphone—a little gravelly, deep, and steeped in emotion. That emotion has driven Feidler from his origins in Baltimore, Md., to his home today outside of Rapid City, S.D.
The kid that never felt like he fit in the city has a place among country music artists on the road. He balances life with wife, Blayne, and children Townes, 6, and July, 4, by touring only on weekends so he can be there. It’s a life he didn’t dream of when he was young, but one he’s pursued in earnest since 2019.
Townes and July, Feidler’s children, often join him with wife, Blayne, at family-friendly venues. Photo courtesy Kenny Feidler
“Since we made the decision to go fulltime with music, I’ve been so lucky,” says Feidler. “It’s been great, and I have a really good life balance to be home and make a good living.”
Feidler and his band, Cowboy Killers, have played everything from local shows to big venues like Stagecoach. They’ve opened for acts like Reckless Kelly at Gruene Hall in Texas and Colter Wall at the Mission Ball Room in Colorado. The dedication to his craft hasn’t wavered, and his vision to create music akin to his early influences is strong. It makes Feidler a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Photo courtesy Kenny Feidler
From East to West
Baltimore isn’t the first city to come to mind when one thinks of a bronc rider’s hometown, but Feidler hailed from the urban area. He pursued the Western lifestyle, despite not having a family influence, and found National High School Rodeo Association connections in Pennsylvania.
“No one in my family rodeoed, and I felt out of place, like I should be somewhere else,” Feidler recalls. “I got into high school rodeo and got into bull riding. A friend gave me a Chris Ledoux CD, the Live album—this was before streaming—and I was trying to get hold of any cowboy culture I could. After that, I wanted to become a bareback rider. I started digging into more, read his biography, and it was a road map for more to find my way. It was really pivotal for me.”
Though he started as a high school bull rider, Feidler followed Chris Ledoux’s musical and rodeo example, becoming a professional bareback bronc rider. Photo courtesy Kenny Feidler
Soon, Feidler was headed to Northwestern College in Alva, Okla., to compete on the rodeo team while completing a degree in Agriculture Business.
“Rodeo was a big part of my life,” he says. “I met my wife in college, and the friends I made down there were really impactful. I started hanging around with some of the guys I rodeoed with and we played music at the house, then at parties. I would write about rodeo stuff, what I was feeling, and shelved those songs. We had a house in Alva, and I bought a computer microphone, and I would record and burn CDs. I used the school library to print labels, then put them in cases to sell at rodeos or give them out. That’s how I started in music.”
After graduating in 2010, Feidler continued both the rodeo road and pursuing music, and eventually moving to Blayne’s home state of South Dakota. They married in 2014. Feidler started a band that played locally, and his music career really began rolling.
Feeding the Machine
Aspiring musicians often work a job during the week and put their heart and soul into music on the weekend. That was a trap that Feidler wanted to stay away from.
“My friend Mike George told me not to just keep my head down, working, and let it all pass by, so I’ve tried to be real conscious of that,” says Feidler. “I have kids now, and I try to make sure nothing outweighs my time with them.