Michael Martin Murphey

Western music legend Michael Martin Murphey and his Rio Grande Band will play a benefit concert at Hamley Slickfork Saloon in Pendleton on Saturday, April 9.

The event will raise money to help fund ongoing Lyme Disease treatment for Andy Rieber of Adel, Ore. Rieber has worked for years as a journalist and consultant, telling the story of ranchers to the wider public and helping to protect the ability of ranchers to graze on public lands. The benefit is being produced by Murphey’s nonprofit foundation Murphey Western Institute, “A center for the education, preservation and perpetuation of the arts, culture, history and legacy of the American West.”

A multiple Grammy nominee and Western Music Hall of Fame artist, Murphey has captivated fans for years with his ability to render the iconic images and stories of the American West in his distinctive musical style. He’s best known for his hugely successful revival of traditional cowboy songs and for country-crossover mega-hits like “Wildfire,” “Carolina in the Pines” and “What’s Forever For?”

Murphey’s concert in Pendleton comes just days before the release of his much-anticipated latest album — “High Stakes: Cowboy Songs VII” — a tribute to the beauties and hardships of the lives of working cattle ranchers. Murphey will give fans a pre-release sampling of his new songs in the intimate setting of the historic Slickfork Saloon, a monument to Oregon’s cattle and cowboy culture. The concert also will feature a live auction of classic Pendleton items and an autographed Michael Martin Murphey guitar.

Doors will open 6 p.m. Tickets cost $45 for premier seating and $40 for general seating and are available at michaelmartinmurphey.tix.com.

To learn more about Rieber, visit http://andyrieber.com.