Mark Worsham "Trail Of Tears" Home Monte Ray Goodwin, the writer of all ten songs on this album, was born in Missoula Montana in January 1954 to a forest service ranger, of German decent, and grew up enjoying the great outdoors. As a teenager they moved to Curlew, Washington, completed high school and married to a beautiful American Indian girl. He began working in a sawmill and learned the meaning of hard work and the love of God, family, and country.
After a time Monte became a millwright and was mining company. His great lyric talent and music ability show up in these songs as he has spent most of his life writing and singing and getting close to nature.
Now living on the Colville Indian Reservation, in Keller Washington, 20 miles east of Grand Coulee Dam, he was inspired to write the songs on this album mostly having Indian influence and of course God and country. The title song TRAIL OF TEARS was taken from the original history of the Cherokees in the southeast United States with the trials and hardships that followed them. MISSISSIPPI CHOCTAW GIRL came from that same original research done for the Indians in that area. Indian hardship was a strong thought on Monte's mind as can be seen in MAN THAT BOY CAN RIDE, a story about a struggling young brave and his horse. Being in the wilderness prompted the beautiful INDIAN SUMMER, CHINOOK WIND BLOWS, and THE DANCE NEVER ENDS. Then while alone driving and having time to think Monte pinned NEVER ENDING HIGHWAY, HIGHWAY TO LOVE, BUMMIN' ON SKID ROW and then finally MAYBE TOMORROW, a story about a fugitive, which could very easily become a movie theme. You will find this album extremely enjoyable, as well as tearful at times and poignant, yet always with a message, showing how great and prolific a writer Monte Goodwin is.
