By Catherine Ellerton

Moapa Valley Progress

Master yodeler and song stylist Rod Erickson rings in the New Year among friends at the Overton Sr. Center. Photo by Catherine Ellerton.

There were no bright lights, no loud noises, no confetti, no funny hats and no zany costumes. But there was a community joining together to remember the old and to welcome in and to support each other in the new. On Saturday evening, December 31, the Overton Senior Center opened its doors to the community to come together and celebrate the beginning of another new year.

To a full, appreciative house, singer, song writer, Cowboy Poet and master yodeler, Rod Erickson made a much anticipated appearance.

Now, you might think “yodeler?” Actually, when Erickson yodels it is with a capital Y. When this entertainer lets loose with a yodel it is amazing and electrifying.

Rod is also a wonderful story teller. He told of his brother who sang “Baby Brother” to him ending with the thought that he’d rather have a dog. He sang of a mother’s love “Now that Mother’s Gone, Who Will Pray For Me?” He sang of the love he has for his wife of 54 plus years, Nancy, “Thank You, Darling.”

His clear rich voice encompasses a very wide range from a pure well-supported falsetto to a deep and rumbling bass. Erickson was equally at home explaining how to yodel “She Taught Me To Yodel” (which he also did in slow motion) to reminiscing about life and it’s ending “The Good Lord’s Tuggin’ On The Lead Rope.”

His extensive repertoire consisted of humorous memories of pets: “Skinny and Scrawny,” (two kittens who learned everything the hard way), “Big Bad Tom” (the world’s saddest song) and, to be politically correct, a song about his dog, Shep – “A Boy And His Dog.”

Erickson’s easy singing style and pleasing stage personality caused the evening to pass quicker than one would have wished. It was soon time to make those ill-kept resolutions: “Finish all the projects that had been started;” “Keep going for another year;” “Better health,” and the polite suggestion to ask someone who had a better imagination or who could tell a good lie.