Smokey Ritter

SMOKEY RITTER, The "YES-I-CAN!" Cowboy, is an inspiring entertainer, professional speaker and fundraising expert. Besides western music, Smokey also includes comedy, cowboy poetry, 40's jazz tunes, Beatles songs and classic pop hits in his concerts. Plenty of audience participation and FREE Prizes add to the fun!

With his guitar, banjo, jinglin' spurs, yodeling, sing-alongs and "clip-clop" cocoanuts (played by audience volunteers), he puts on a high-energy show that's entertaining for all, from corporate execs to young families. Smokey has performed with western stars Randy Travis, Roy Rogers, Baxter Black and Michael Martin Murphy.

Ritter makes a point of playing only up-beat, positive songs. "None of those whining, dysfunctional, co-dependent victim songs for me!" he says. Typical tunes in his act are snappy toe-tappers such as: "Bonanza," "Rawhide," "Accentuate the Positive," "Ghost Riders," "Don't Fence Me In," "Country Roads," "Hey Jude" "Dr. Jazz," "This Land Is Your Land," "If I Only had a Brain," and "Happy Trails." For more, click on Song List.

Smokey was born in Hollywood, California, and grew up surrounded by the movie industry. His mother was assistant to Johnny Green, five-time Academy Award-winning MGM composer. She later became a writer and college English teacher. Smokey's father sold printing and was a national tour director. His dad led songs and told jokes on the tour buses. Smokey's distant cousin is Oscar-winning actor Martin Landau.

After a few guitar lessons, Smokey was performing in public by age 11. Adding banjo and harmonica, Smokey was soon singing at coffee houses and festivals. Over the next 20 years, Ritter performed across the United States, playing conferences, retreats, conventions, corporate events, universities, schools and libraries. He was also featured on National Public Radio and NBC TV.

Ritter learned his last area of expertise, fundraising, by helping bring in over $5 million for churches, schools, clubs, hospitals, and other Denver non-profit groups. Some of his biggest clients and sponsors have been: Disney Studios, United Way, Ford, Crystal Cathedral, Children's Hospital, Catholic Charities, Rotary, BlueCross, Microsoft, Newsweek, State Farm and Wells Fargo Bank. Please visit the Client List.

Today, he performs THE SMOKEY RITTER "YES-I-CAN!" SHOW Fundraising Concerts, making great money for Colorado organizations through ticket, CD, book and poster sales. These groups create additional income with food sales, auctions, raffles, a coupons and gift certificates. Smokey also presents motivational and sales success talks nationally, presenting his "Live Your Dream!" and "9 Ways to Surround Yourself with Positivity!" workshops. He is currently planning his first European tour.

(SMOKEY RITTER is a member of Colorado Association of Nonprofit Organizations,
Denver Coach Federation and the Colorado Independent Publisher's Association)