10/18/2007:
One of the greatest rodeo announcers of all time was born on this date in 1907 near Cavalier, North Dakota.
The youngest of 10 children, James Cyrille Taillon grew up helping with farm work and enjoying card games, horse-drawn skiing, baseball and music. Soon nicknamed “Cy,” he was a violinist at age six and also learned to play piano, guitar, tenor banjo and xylophone.
Music and microphone experiences led Taillon into radio announcing and then, at the request of rodeo producer Leo Cremer of Montana, rodeo announcing. Taillon once said, “Leo kept telling me it could be a challenging and profitable field. I told Leo I’d do six rodeos for him through the summer. Instead, I wound up with engagements extending over 10 months, including such rodeos as the one at Chicago Stadium. By then, I was sold on my job.”
Taillon announced his first rodeo in Butte, Montana, in 1939, the start of a 40-year career. He worked with Cremer until 1942 and then enlisted in the Army Air Corps. In 1945, he returned to rodeo announcing, offering what was called the “straight man” style of announcing instead of “corn comedy” and making it a mission to present the rodeo cowboy as an athlete instead of a bum.
The acceptance of his announcing style was perhaps Taillon’s greatest accomplishment. He brought class to rodeo through his clear, concise commentary; precise grammar; and distinguished, well-groomed look. He was interested in the cowboys, remembering things about them to share with the audience.
Taillon became one of the first to make his entire living announcing rodeos. He announced the first National Finals Rodeo for nine years, starting in 1959. He also announced at the Denver National Western Show for 33 consecutive years and the San Francisco Cow Palace for 30 years.
Named Rodeo’s Man of the Year in 1965, Taillon also received the International Rodeo Management Award in 1966 and was inducted into the Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1979 and the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2000.
He was married twice and had a daughter and had two sons.
Dave Stout of the Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Information Commission once said of Taillon, “He could have achieved fame in music, aviation, broadcasting or writing if he so desired. It’s fortunate the rodeo world got the jump on the others to claim Cy for its own.”
by Cathy A. Langemo, WritePlus Inc.