Cooke County origins Famous figures with ties to Gainesville
Sally Sexton , Editor
We all come from somewhere .
Whether it ’ s our birthplace , the city we attended school in or the area where we met our future spouses , geography has a hand in our upbringing .
With that in mind , we decided to dive in to some Cooke County history and see some figures — be they architects , athletes or businesspeople — who have had ties to Gainesville and Cooke County .
Red Steagall It doesn ’ t get much more Western than Red Steagall . Though he and his family never actually lived there , Steagall was born in Gainesville in 1938 , as it was the closest hospital at the time .
A native Texan , he grew up in Hutchinson County and enjoyed a career in agricultural chemistry after getting his degree at Texas A & M .
He then spent eight years as a music industry executive in Hollywood , and has been a recording artist , songwriter and television / movie personality for the last 30-plus years .
As a musician , he ’ s performed for President Ronald Reagan and three overseas tours to the Middle East , Far East , Europe , Australia and South America . The song “ Here We Go Again ,” co-written by Steagall , was featured on Ray Charles ’ last album , “ Genius Loves Company ,” which won Record of the Year at the 2005 Grammy Awards .
Steagall ’ s music has earned eight Wrangler Awards from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City .
Steagall currently ranches outside of Fort Worth , where in addition to his entertainment activities , he is involved in numerous horse-related activities .
Since 1991 , he ’ s hosted the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering in the Fort Worth Stockyards . The annual event is kickstarted with a wagon train that travels from Jacksboro through Mineral Wells and Weatherford before its final destination in Fort Worth .
The Cowboy Gathering also features a ranch rodeo , chuck wagon cook-off , youth poetry contest , youth fiddle contest , Western swing dances , cowboy music and poetry , a trappings show and horsemanship clinics .
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