Colorado’s Lu Vason, the creator of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, was a fixture in the Greater Denver community, using his rodeo events to preserve the legacy of Black cowboys and their rightful place in the history of rodeo.
Vason held the first of his invitational events in 1984 in Denver, taking the rodeo from a small local event into what he and his partners billed as the “greatest show on dirt.” Cities such as Los Angeles, Oakland, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. have been stops for the “A Rodeo with Soul” national tour backed by the invitational rodeo team.
According to accounts, Vason began his career as a show promoter, putting on concerts featuring Stevie Wonder, Prince, The Pointer Sisters, and festivals such as the Denver Jazz Fest. Vason was also a beautician and barber, using his well-honed people skills to organize the concerts and rodeos. (READ MORE)(SOURCE: BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM)