Gary traveled with his father as a child, spending time in and around the ranches, feedlots, and rodeo arenas of Northern Colorado and neighboring states.
Before entering the world of Western music and poetry, he worked as a cowboy, rodeo performer, and guide, where he learned to wrangle, drive teams, shoe horses, brand, calve, rope, fence, and pack.
After two years studying animal science at Colorado State University and a stint as a Vietnam-era Navy corpsman, he made a conscious decision to become a cowboy songwriter.
[2][3][4] In the early seventies he moved to Nashville, where he hung out with aspiring Western artists Fred (Too Slim) LaBour, Chris LeDoux, and Ian Tyson.
His songs have been recorded by artists such as the now-famous Chris LeDoux, Ian Tyson, and Riders in the Sky (featuring Fred LaBour).