Band Members

Band leader, Ronnie Cook, is in his ninth year at the Flying W Ranch. Beginning with the guitar at the age of four, Ronnie has learned to play several instruments without ever taking any lessons. In addition to singing western music, Ronnie has played country music and bluegrass music. At one point in his life Ronnie attended numerous guitar competitions around the country. He is the only guitarist to be named “Three Time Colorado State Guitar Champion.” In addition to his duties as band leader, Ronnie works in sales and promotions, and produces the great Flying W Wranglers CD’s in the on-sight studio at the ranch. And, at the top of Ronnie’s list of accomplishments is performing at Carnegie Hall.

Flying W Wrangler, Wayne Humphrey, started playing music at the age of fourteen. Wayne comes from a musical family. His Father was a Flying W Wrangler for nine years, and his uncle performed as a wrangler. Wayne sings, plays the “dog house” bass, guitar and mandolin. This accomplished musician spent seven years on the road playing music with entertainers Freddy Fender, Mark Chestnut, Steve Warner and Harold Dean. A native of Colorado, Wayne grew up on a ranch and learned many things from his grandpa about life. For seven years Wayne rode bulls in the rodeo business until an injury caused him to have to make a change. He spent the next three years fighting bulls, and after that managing rough stock for a local contractor. Hobbies now include fishing and building show cars.

Tony Ludiker is the fiddle player for the Flying W Wranglers and started his musical training at the age of ten. Growing up in Spokane, Washington, Tony started competing, and earned the title “Washington State Open Fiddle Champion” thirteen times. He also won the “Northwestern Regional Fiddle Championship” nine times, and the “National Fiddle Championship” five times (one of the only two contestants to have won that contest that many time). Tony has toured South Korea with his fiddle/violin, backed up entertainers Ray Price and Rod Stewart, and was concert meister for the Coeur d” Alene Idaho Symphony. Tony has also played bluegrass music with his fiddle. He also sings and plays guitar and mandolin for the Wranglers.

Flying W Wrangler Jayson Jones started playing music at eight years old. In the Wrangler group. Jayson sings and plays the guitar, mandolin and fiddle, Jayson has two brothers that also play mandolin, guitar and banjo. The brothers were part of a Jones family band while growing up in Sherman, Texas area. He attended the South Plains College and earned a degree in music. During the last eighteen years, Jayson worked on numerous cattle ranches, the last one being the Beggs Cattle Company. For ten years he served as foreman on this two hundred thousand acre spread. Jayson started to learn how to make bits and spurs eleven years ago, and was recently named in the top ten craftsman of his trade in the western United States.