Yes, It Was My First Rodeo

I was just a preteen when my family moved to Houston in 1978 from the Midwest, and at first, everything about Texas felt overwhelming. Back home, life had been simple and familiar—small towns, quiet streets, and local fairs that seemed like a big deal at the time. Houston, by contrast, felt enormous and full of surprises. It wasn’t until 1979, when I experienced the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, that I really began to feel like I belonged.

My first trip to the rodeo that year was with my red headed friend, Dena and her parents. They introduced me to the sights, sounds, and traditions that made the event so special. I was completely blown away—not just by the livestock shows and carnival atmosphere, but by the sheer scale of everything.

The highlight of that first visit was seeing Leif Garrett perform. At the time, Leif Garrett was one of the biggest teen idols in America. He had exploded onto the scene in the late 1970s, landing hit songs like “I Was Made for Dancin’,” which was constantly on the radio. His blond, all-American look made him a staple of teen magazines, and his face was plastered on posters in bedrooms across the country. Beyond music, he was also a familiar face on television, appearing in shows and movies that made him even more recognizable to kids our age. By 1979, his popularity was at its peak—he wasn’t just a singer, he was a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Dena and I were huge fans.

So when he took the stage at the rodeo, the reaction from the crowd was unlike anything I had ever heard. Thousands of fans—especially teenagers—were screaming, singing, and completely caught up in the moment. Dena and I were right there with them, swept up in the excitement, feeling like we were part of something huge. For me, it was surreal. Just a year earlier, I had been in the Midwest, and now I was watching one of the biggest teen stars in the country perform live in Houston.

What made that year even more memorable was that I went back to the rodeo again—this time with my parents. By then, I couldn’t wait to show them everything I had experienced. That second visit had its own kind of magic, especially because we were there to see The Osmond Family perform. Their polished, family-friendly style brought a different energy to the rodeo, and sharing that night with my parents made it feel even more meaningful.

Looking back, those two visits to the rodeo in 1979 captured a turning point in my life. One night was about friendship and discovering a new world, the other about family and connection. And right in the middle of it all was the music—bigger than anything I had known before—helping a kid from the Midwest find her place in a city that was quickly starting to feel like home.