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The name Templeton Thompson could lend itself well to that of a south Texas lawyer? Sounds a little intimidating even!
Good thing for us that Templeton Thompson is not a lawyer, but she could have been!
Templeton, affectionately known as “Tempy” to her friends, is a singer, songwriter and a self proclaimed “Hippie
Chic Cowgirl”™.
She is more at home in the saddle, or out in the paddock trick training her “baby girl” Jane, a sorrel quarter horse
with a big blaze and a baby doll head, than she ever would have been in a courtroom. It was the path she thought
for a while that she should take, the “safe” path, she tells us.
It’d be a shame to stuff Tempy into serious suits and park her behind mountains of paperwork. Her blue eyes
sparkle with delight at the mention of the horses. Hand her a guitar and she comes alive with creativity and a
natural beauty that only shines through in those that are truly happy.
Navy blue pinstripes and heels would be a poor substitute for the soft denim and broke in lacers that Tempy prefers. If you could see her zest for the life she lives with her husband Sam Gay in their little white farmhouse with
the red shutters and you’d be hard pressed to imagine her anywhere else.
Named for her father’s best friend, a fighter pilot
named Don Templeton who died in action, Templeton is fiercely proud of her unusual name.
“I take the path less traveled, cause I know
where it leads,” is a line from her song “Cowgirl Creed”. Tempy did take the path less
traveled and though it winds and throws a
curveball now and then, she amazingly and
absolutely does know where it leads. Someone like Zig Ziggler or Tony Robbins said, “you
speak your world into existence”. Templeton lives and
breathes that positive attitude … she knows the “secret”
to a happy life. For her, it starts with just being happy
and grateful for the each day you are given.
“everyday i count my blessins’ | i’m just so glad to be
alive | i do my best to learn my lessons | `cause i don’t think
we get to do this twice … and now everyday, everyday i wake up
grateful | it’s a choice i make, | everyday to keep it simple |and when
come what may tries to shake my faith | at the end of the day i give it
away and lay my head down and i wake up grateful”
From “Wake up Grateful” on Girls & Horses.
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Her more than 15 years in Nashville have been spent penning countless songs, including cuts for Reba McEntire,
JoDee Messena, and Little Texas. Her song “Settle Down
Cinderella” was included in the comedy film Dr. Doolittle 3, starring Eddie Murphy and Raven Symone.
Once you listen to Templeton’s lilting voice and her compelling lyrics, who she’s written for or sang with fade
away. All you are left with is a desire to listen … her
music makes you feel good.
Some people have a light around them, no matter what
you believe in; there are those that radiate goodness and
positive energy. Tempy’s presence, her music is a soothing balm for a troubled soul. It’s the purest of natural
ointments. Even her sad songs focus on the positive.
“she remembers ridin’ | that old gray geldin’ | she remembers the wind on her face | and the feel of the reins in
her hands | and it’s good to see her smilin | but so hard to
keep from cryin’| when i walk in the room and she doesn’t
know who i am | she remembers ridin’”
From “She remember’s ridin” on Girls & Horses (song
about an equestrienne with Alzheimer’s Disease)
Science has proven that music heals. We know that negativity is toxic yet we bask in it some days as if it were the
sun. Being a “Hippie Chic Cowgirl”™ or a “Cowboy
Hippie Feller” means staying positive. The last five years
Many of Sam and
Tempy’s best tunes have
been written on either
their front porch
swing or in the
morning hours
during a cup of
straming hot
coffee.
of Sam and Tempy’s life have been a test of that optimism.
Both Sam and Tempy were staff songwriters with a steady
albeit modest income. Five years ago, that steady job was
phased out. It is Templeton’s philosophy to never fall back
… so no mainstream “jobs” were sought. The couple stepped
out on faith and vowed to only fall forward. They continually
“Dream Big, Work Hard and Have Faith.”™
“They say the things I’m dreamin’ they just can’t be done
| They walk the line and say that I’m the foolish one | They got
this `n that `n the other | But I’ll tell you one thing brother
They sure don’t look like they’re havin’ any fun | I think I’ll
just stay crazy | Think I’ll just keep runnin’ wild | Long as
you’re here with me baby | If I go down I go down with a
smile | Just stay crazy… I’ll just stay crazy”
From “Just Stay Crazy” on Girls & Horses
This is a bold move for a person that had a good deal of negativity to overcome. Templeton would scoff at any lingering
on low points in her life, so just know that between her career
choice and an absent father, she had a lot of hurdles to jump
to become the person she is today.
Tempy makes it clear that a bright light in her life is her
mother.
“My mom is fearless,” she tells us with a smile.
Currently pursuing the perfect
piaffe aboard her large and
handsome thoroughbred
gelding “Linkage”, PJ
Drayton is not as fearless
when it comes to Templeton’s aspirations to ride
Jane bridleless!
A parent can never
know the impact
that sharing a
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passion with have on their children. For PJ, the days spent
teaching Tempy how to ride were obviously not wasted.
Thanks go out to PJ for instilling such an inherent love of
the horse in her daughter.
photo Sam Gay
Tempy is fond of saying “it’s a God thing”, although she admits she is more spiritual than religious. The biggest “God
thing” in her life has to be his choice of her partner. Tempy
and Sam have no two-legged children but it would be hard
to imagine a human being with that much propensity for
talent.
Sam is an incredible guitarist, a great vocalist, he too is an
To teach the tricks, Tempy keeps carrots handy. The use of
treats is being phased out as Jane learns and enjoys each new
trick. So far they’ve mastered the rear (which is only taught
from the ground), standing on the pedastal, and they are working on the bow. Tempy’s guidence comes from www.imagineahorse.com innovators Sue DeLaurentis and Allen Pogue. Sue
and Allen are best known for training “Lady C” Sheryl Crow’s
TN walking horse.
excellent songwriter, add to that: a self taught graphic artist,
a producer, an editor, and a handyman (along with a laundry
list of other trades he doesn’t claim to master but enjoys and
is more than competent in.)! You already know Templeton
writes a large part of her own music, she’s a creative engine.
The “Hippie Chic Cowgirl”ä phrase is now a trademarked
line of t-shirts.
As a world-wide ambassador for EAGALA ( Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association ) Tempy knows the
healing power of horses.
“ Sometimes I want to give up, throw up my hands and say
enough’s enough … that’s when I go and saddle up and run
away til I’m ok. Til I’m not afraid of stayin’ in the game.”
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These lyrics from the title track of her newest album “girls
& horses” capture the heart of most horse people that rely on
their equine friends for therapy, solace and comfort.
Since horses and humans first bonded thousands of years ago
many tears have been shed in their manes. From the gruffest
cowboy suffering from loneliness and loss on the range to the
tiniest girl that is just beginning to understand that life isn’t
always fair, our horses have been constant towers of strength.
Templeton Thompson gets that and she writes about it and
then sings it straight to your heart.
As Jane and Tempy perfect their act, their bond grows stronger and stronger. Don’t be surprised if you sit down to be entertained at some future expo and what Tempy and Jane do
together touches you and resonates on a deeper level than you
ever imagined.
Tempy remains a “Hippie Chic Cowgirl”™ with an incredible
gift to share and Jane, well Jane is a horse and isn’t that’s all
she needs to be?
To learn more about Templeton visit her website
www.templetonthompson.com , there you can order her music,
learn where she next appears in concert and keep up with her
latest journeys. Don’t forget to click the link to Sam’s page too.
f
photo: Sam Gay
Miss Jane rearing on command!