Chris LeDoux was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, and raised in Tyler, Texas. He attended Casper College in Casper, Wyoming, where he participated in the College National Finals Rodeo.
On stage, he was known for his lively performances, which included fireworks and LeDoux riding a mechanical bull between songs. LeDoux spent his time off the road with his family at their ranch in Kaycee, Wyoming.
In 2000, LeDoux was diagnosed with a liver disease, and successfully underwent a liver transplant. In late 2004 he was diagnosed with cancer and began undergoing radiation treatment.
LeDoux died in Casper. He was 56 years old. He had recently checked into Casper's Wyoming Medical Center following complications from ongoing treatment for cancer of the bile duct, and was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his death.
Following his death, his friend and fellow musician, Garth Brooks (both of whom had teamed up for the 1992 hit duet "Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy"), released a tribute song to Ledoux, "Good Ride Cowboy," which Brooks went on to perform live on November 15, 2005 in Times Square in New York City on the Country Music Association Awards show.
Little Britches Rodeo bareback world championship (1964)
Wyoming State High School bareback bronc championship (1967)
National Intercollegiate bareback riding champion (1969)
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association bareback world championship (1976)
Retired from rodeo competition (1984)
Songs of Rodeo Life (1971)
Rodeo & Living Free (1974)
Songs of Rodeo & Country (1974)
Life as a Rodeo Man (1975)
Songbook of American (1976)
Sing Me a Song Mr. Rodeo Man (1977)
Cowboys Ain't Easy to Love (1978)
Paint Me Back Home (1979)
Old Cowboy Heroes (1980)
Sounds of the Western Country (1980)
Western Tunesmith (1980)
He Rides the Wild Horses (1981)
Used to Want to Be a Cowboy (1982)
Old Cowboy Classics (1983)
Thirty Dollar Cowboy (1983)
Melodies & Memories (1984)
Wild & Wooly (1986)
Powder River (1990)
Western Underground (1991)
Chris Ledoux & the Saddle Boogie Band (1991)
Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy (1992)
Under This Old Hat (1993)
Haywire (1994)
Stampede (1996)
Live (1997)
One Road Man (1998)
Cowboy (2000)
After the Storm (2002)
Horsepower (2003)
20 Originals: The Early Years (2004)
Anthology Vol. 1 (2005)
