DYER, BOB (1939-2007)

Robert "Bob" Dyer was a popular songwriter and performer from Missouri. As part of the Missouri Artist-in-Education program and Young Audiences, Inc., he conducted residencies, assemblies and workshops in many of Missouri's public schools and performed in a number of other settings. From 1999 until 2002 he was employed as "Riverlorian" for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company working on their boats the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen. He had a master's degree in English and taught college English for 15 years prior to embarking on his career as a "Songteller." He had his own recording company, Big Canoe Records.

 

"Bob has had an amazing life — He worked extensively with John Neihardt, author of Black Elk Speaks.  He lived for at a time in a cabin that he built himself out of railroad ties on what is now Three Creeks State Forest.  (You’ll hear this cabin and this time of his life mentioned in the song on the new CD, “One Last Time.”) He has written several books, including a book about Duke Paul of Wuerttemberg On The Missouri Frontier, which he co-wrote with a historian from Germany and a book of poems about the flood of 1993, which he co-wrote with another community treasure, poet Walter Bargen. He taught a film course at the University of Missouri, which one of his former students said was the best course she ever had at any school ever.  He is an incredible teacher and storyteller.  He now does school residencies around the state (lucky kids!) and was riverlorian on the American Queen for several years.  These are only a few things that I know (and that are suitable for telling!) about Bob — of course, there is more…"

 

Win Grace