Gilbert Dawson Prather

July 12, 1940 - February 3, 2022 (The Day the Music Died)

“We come, we do, and we go.” - Gil Prather

Gil Prather passed away peacefully February 3rd surrounded by his four children, and close friends Rooster and Butch.  Gil succumbed to the effects of an adventurous lifestyle and hard living that finally overtook a body that had been used to its fullest.  Joy was found in his final days as Facebook exploded with memories and messages of love from those prematurely thinking he had passed.  He essentially was able to attend his own funeral.

Gil was a 4th generation Texan, born in Abilene to Berylgene Dawson Prather and Lawrence Anthony (Bud) Prather.  His ancestors followed the open range.  As with any young man destined to be a cowboy, rodeo became a large part of his life.  Bull riding was his love gaining him a wealth of stories and scars to prove it. The Rio Grande soon came calling as rodeo and family ranching interests led him to Alpine, Texas.  He attended Sul Ross State College until the lure of music enticed him to the world of Cowboy/Western songwriting and singing.  “Day work cowboyin’ paid $6.00 per day for a 12 to 14 hour day.  Hell, a feller could make $8.00 a night pickin’ and singin’ in the roughneck joints in Odessa, Texas.  I thought I’d found the end of the rainbow,” Gil said. His music career was born, but cowboyin’ stayed in his heart forever.

He covered a lot of ground from then to now.  Much time was spent in Nashville, TN writing and recording songs.  Along with his music and cowboy careers, Gil spent time as an insurance salesman, a car salesman, a junker, a race horse owner, a gambler, an aficionado of wine, spirits, and beer, the Jose Brother “Jos-B”, a construction company owner, a home builder, a rancher, a professional fisherman, a fishing guide, the promotional voice for Joe’s Boot Shop in Muleshoe, TX, an unsuccessful day trader, a horse smuggler (if the song Seven Days from Musquiz is accurate), and an entrepreneur of several businesses before settling back into music and acting.

God always opened new doors for Gil with wild adventures leading to new friendships and life changing events.  Music had slipped to the back-burner for quite a few years before the creative juices were reignited by a wild cattle gathering at Black Gap.  The Rio Grande Sand always inspired him to be creative, and when a friendship grew with Rooster McConaughey and Butch Gilliam in Black Gap, the final chapter took life.  Gil’s acting career moved to the TV Show West Texas Investors Club and continued on into several small roles in films including the cook Milo from Wild Horses.  His rekindled passion for music led to collaborations with long time friends to produce a few new albums with the song Beautiful Darling being honored by the Academy of Western Artists as the 2019 Song of the Year.  This follows his 1996 Song of the Year honor awarded for I’ll Be Back in Texas by the Fall.

While never accused of being a family man, Gil loved his family, friends, and everyone in between.  Beautiful Darling was written for his wife Camilla Elizabeth Prather, probably to get him out of trouble.  His marriage lasted almost 30 years and blessed him with four children.  He is survived by Tolbert Y. Prather, wife Audrey; Gilbert G. Prather, wife Melinda, T. Cody Prather, wife, Sara; Camilla M. Pergrem, husband Jeff and a wealth of grand children, great grand children, his brother Wilbur, nieces, nephews, adopted musicians, inherited step grand children, a pet rattlesnake (but we can’t find it in his house), and every young musician he has ever influenced. 

Gil was always full of surprises.  From being the life of the party, the start of the party, or the one requiring a police response, Gil softened in his later years drawing nearer to the Lord.  One of his most cherished final albums was  The Gospel According to Gil honoring God with the talents blessed to him.  The gift of salvation was accepted by Gil before his passing, and remains the greatest gift he left all of us as we know we shall see him again.

Gil Prather will never truly die as long we keep his music alive.  Soon Gil will be as Willie the Wander dancing down dusty roads.  Celebration of Life will be Saturday, April 2, 2022 in Terlingua, TX.  Come cxelebrate at the High Sierra Bar & Grill for a memorial service at 1pm, and stay as long as you'd like. Music and tributes will likely last long into the night.  Sunday morning will be a gospel music session at a time to be determined.  

High Sierra Bar & Grill
100 Ghost Town Rd.
Terlingua, TX 79852

In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged in Gil’s honor to further the music he loved so much:
Cowtown Society of Western Swing
3709 E Highway 67
Cleburne, TX 76031