Moe Bandy is Finally Being Honored

There’s been a lot of discussion over the last few days of what exactly constitutes a country music “legend,” tied to the kerfuffle between Sammy Kershaw and the CMAs, and whether Kershaw should be allowed to walk the red carpet in 2026. For certain, who is a legend and who isn’t is in the eye of the beholder. Dolly Parton? You’ll find few if anyone to argue about her legendary status. Sammy Kershaw? Many long-time country fans would claim him as a legend in their minds, but maybe for younger fans or people who didn’t experience his heyday in real-time, it might be up for debate.

But a name you don’t hear nearly enough about when it comes to country music’s living performers who deserve our gratitude and recognition for a life of service is Moe Bandy. Whether you consider him a legend or not, the 82-year-old had a string of hits, minted #1 songs, gave rise to a host of standards in the country catalog, and unlike Sammy Kershaw and some others, carried his commercial relevancy through the better part of two decades.

Moe Bandy minted his two #1 hits back to back in 1979 with “Just Good Ol’ Boys” (recorded with his long-time collaborator Joe Stampley), followed by “I Cheated Me Right Out of You.” Bandy had his first Top 20 hit with one of his signature songs “I Just Started Hatin’ Cheatin’ Songs Today” back in 1974. For sure, cheating songs were Bandy’s bread and butter, including “It’s a Cheating Situation” with Janie Fricke in 1979 (#2 on the charts), and “She’s Not Really Cheatin’ (She’s Just Gettin’ Even)” in 1982 (#4).

Overall, Moe Bandy recorded nineteen Top 10 hits, and thirty five Top 20 hits. Earning his final Top 10 hit in 1988 with “Americana” before the “Class of ’89” (Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, etc.) kicked a lot of the oldtimers to the curb, Moe amassed a rather impressive catalog over an extended period. Though his reign on radio might have ended in 1989, Moe Bandy has remained active throughout the years. Though some of his catalog went out-of-print for a spell, most titles can now be found online and on streaming services.

Not waiting around for the CMA to recognize Moe Bandy, the Ameripolitan Awards originally founded by Dale Watson have named Moe Bandy as their Master Award recipient for 2027. The Ameripolitan Awards are being held April 16-18 in Austin, TX.

“The Ameripolitan Master Award is our highest honor, recognizing a lifetime of dedication and contribution to the music we celebrate,” say the Ameripolitan Awards. “Moe joins a remarkable list of past Master recipients, and few artists embody real country like he does … We couldn’t be more excited to honor this true legend of traditional country music at the 2027 Ameripolitan Music Awards!”

Previous winners of the Ameripolitan Master Award are Charley Pride (2016), Jerry Lee Lewis (2017), Brian Setzer (2018), Johnny Rodriguez (2023), and Ray Benson (2024).

Moe Bandy was born Marion Franklin Bandy Jr. on February 12th, 1944 in Meridian, Mississippi—the same birthplace as the Father of Country Music, Jimmie Rodgers. In fact, Bandy’s grandfather worked on the railroads with Rodgers, and recalled Rodgers playing guitar between shifts. By the time his family moved to San Antonio when he was six, Marion was affectionately known by the nickname of Moe.

Moe Bandy’s father performed in a band called the Mission City Playboys, and wanted Moe to learn the the fiddle. But Moe showed little interest. He did play some guitar growing up, but didn’t really take a shining to music until his teens when he’d perform with his father occasionally while in high school. Moe Bandy’s real passion was the rodeo, and Moe and his brother competed as both bronc and bull riders in rodeos all across Texas. They ended up becoming six-time NFR qualifiers, and Moe and his brother were formally inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2007.

But the rodeo is a young man’s game, while you can grow old with country music. So in 1962, Moe Bandy formed his first band called Moe and the Mavericks, and started playing in clubs around San Antonio while working for his father’s sheet metal business during the day. Though Moe cut multiple singles throughout the ’60s, it wasn’t until traveling to Nashville in 1973 to work with producer Ray Baker that he would find national success in the music industry.

Along with his strong solo career that would see hits for the next 14 years, Moe regularly collaborated with Joe Stampley under the duo “Moe and Joe,” landing hits with often humerous songs that endeared them to audiences. Moe Bandy’s history in the rodeo would not only give him credibility within country music, it also inspired one of his signature songs, “Bandy The Rodeo Clown,” co-written by Lefty Frizzell with Whitey Shafer, and recorded by Moe with Joe Stampley.

In a week where lots of discussion has centered around honoring past country greats when they’re still around to enjoy it, and what alternatives to the CMAs might be out there for true country fans, it’s good to know that Moe Bandy will be receiving the top honor when the Ameripolitan Awards return in 2027. The nominees for the yearly awards will be announced soon.

For more information on the Ameripolitan Awards, visit ameripolitan.org.

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