Hal Cannon is the founding Director of the Western Folklife Center and its famous child, the Cowboy Poetry Gathering. He has published a dozen books and recordings on the folk arts of the West.

As a musician, Hal and his band, the Deseret String Band/Bunkhouse Orchestra perform nineteenth century music from the West and will be featured at the upcoming Olympic Games.

Awards include a bronze medal at the New York International Radio Festival, three Wrangler Awards from the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, the 1998 Will Rogers Lifetime Achievement Award, the Utah Governors Award in the Arts, and the Botkin Award from the American Folklore Society.