The touring tradition was born in the early 1990s, when Murphey produced an album of cowboy Christmas songs (he has since produced two holiday-themed albums and one DVD, all available on his website), and has developed into the multi-media production it is today.

For nearly a quarter of a century, Murphey has celebrated the cowboy connection to Christmas. “There is a special relationship the Christmas story has to rural communities, farmers and ranchers,” Murphey observes. “God first sent an angel to livestock people — the shepherds in the field. Whether you’re a believer or not, the story emphasizes the fact that the news of the birth of the Savior of the world is not given to the royalty or politicians, but it goes to the lowest people on the totem pole.

“To me, this is an underscoring of the fact that Jesus came for all people, all races and all…