Our Honored Guest – William C. Reynolds
2012's Honored Guest
William C. Reynolds
Western media writer, producer to be honored for his dedication and achievements in media related to western heritage traditions - sharing knowledge, educating readers, viewers and listening audiences to the significance of western art and craftsmanship, the artisans, family ranching values and California's vaquero heritage. It is fair to say without his efforts, there would indeed be a void in today's traditional western media world.
Bill Reynolds entered the western professional world over 30 years ago after obtaining his Masters of Fine Arts in Graphic Design then became Art Director at A & M Records handling diverse artists as Randy Newman, Tanya Tucker, Kiss, Herb Alpert, Pink Floyd to name a few. His career in southern California included Creative Director with Banning/BCI Ad Agency searching out new clients within the western and equestrian sector which led to his assisting in creating Malibu Equestrian Center. He was given the opportunity to acquire ownership of Banning/BCI, after which he increased its client base with names as Resistol, Stetson, Montana Silversmiths, Bohlin, Autry Museum. In the 10 years to follow, he created a special Agency Division for product placement in motion pictures and TV including his own involvement as Technical Advisor for films as Ruby Jean & Joe produced by Tom Selleck; The Horse Whisperer produced by Robert Redford; and All the Pretty Horses with Billy Bob Thornton.
From 1993 - 1999 Bill and his father John Reynolds (former CBS-TV Network President) acquired Edward H. Bohlin Company, famous saddler and silversmith, after which Bill joined Cowboys & Indians magazine as Director of Special Publications (C & I's Book Publishing Division). Soon he was named Associate Publisher, remaining with C & I until 2007 when he left to devote time toward authoring books and writing articles for a variety of journals and magazines as Western Horseman, American Cowboy, Horse & Rider, Southwest Art as well as Cowboys & Indians. Dedicated to western genre, Bill authored The Cowboy Hat Book; award-winning The Art of the Western Saddle; and short stories of artists Edward Borein and Chuck DeHaan. Partnering with horseman Buck Brannaman, he wrote The Faraway Horses (destined for the big screen) and Believe, A Horseman's Journey. He also was granted rights to re-release vaquero Arnold R. Rojas' books.
As current President of Alamar Media, Inc., he co-produces the internet radio service Range Radio and the bi-monthly journal publication Ranch & Reata. In addition, Bill is Editor of the Paragon Foundation's award-winning quarterly journal The Cowboy Way. He is working on a biography of cowboy artist Joe DeYong and a book on western silversmiths along with a film about artist Edward Borein. Bill was pleased to assist artist Jack Swanson in coordinating his book biography soon to be released and continues to oversee the exquisite classic silver ornamentation & collectibles offered at "Old Cowdogs" celebrating the horse culture of the Pacific Slope.
He is an active member of Western Writers of America; Los Rancheros Visitadores; and has served on numerous Director Boards of art foundations and historical museums including the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Bill Reynolds resides in Santa Ynez, CA with his wife Kristin and family.
Of Note.....one might say it was destiny for William C. Reynolds to play a significant media role in upholding western traditions. His father John T. Reynolds broadcasting pioneer, former President of CBS-TV and long-time fan of western genre was responsible for production supervision of such classic series as Gunsmoke, Rawhide (he campioned a young actor Clint Eastwood for the role of Rowdy Yates), The Wild, Wild West and Have Gun Will Travel along with other recognizable titles as The Twilight Zone, Beverly Hillbillies, Hogan's Heroes, Gilligan's Island, The Red Skelton Show and The Judy Garland Show.
In the mid '60s he oversaw the network's transition to broadcasting all programs in color. Asked by Gene Autry to join Autry's Golden West Broadcasters, his collaboration of Scared Straight was the only documentary ever to receive both an Emmy and an Oscar; winning an award for excellence with his CBS-TV version dealing with the problem of drug abuse by young people. Prior to this death in 2008, William Reynolds published a tribute to western artist Edward Borein Etchings of the West, a book containing 10 etchings pulled from original Borein plates. At the time of his death in Montecito, CA, he was working on a film about Borein's early years, a film which Bill Reynolds now plans on completing.
