16 Years Ago, We Lost Chris LeDoux But He’ll Never Really Die
March 9 is one of those Wyoming days that we both don't really enjoy remembering, but also never want to forget. It was the day we lost Chris LeDoux.
As the Wikipedia page for Chris documents, he was diagnosed in August of 2000 with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a progressive liver disease which led to a liver transplant. It was 4 years later that he was diagnosed with bile duct cancer. He passed away on March 9, 2005 at the age of 56.
It just doesn't feel right to dwell on the passing of Chris LeDoux when his legacy will always be his life. He was so very alive. That's a proven fact no one that saw him perform live will ever forget.
The fact that Chris went to school at Casper College and fell in love with rodeo here makes him extra dear to our hearts. But, his friendship with Garth Brooks is what helped introduce Chris to the rest of America. His song "Good Ride Cowboy" released shortly after Chris passed on was a fitting tribute. As Wide Open Country shared, Garth admitted to creating his stage presence based on what Chris used to do when he performed:
"I stole my whole act from Chris," Garth said.
Many still remember the news broadcast from CMT on March 9, 2005 when they announced first heard that Chris was gone.
As long as we have all the memories he left us, Chris LeDoux will never really ever die. To quote Garth in "Good Ride Cowboy", pull your hat down tight, and just LeDoux it.