Below you will find the obituary that the
Mahan's family posted immediately following Larry's passing. With great respect,
we started and then stopped our own feature story on him that focused on
his life and influence after he retired from the rodeo. That didn't feel right:
We felt it was important for those who could give first-hand accounts
pertaining to his rodeo years plenty of room to tell that story, but we also wanted
to leave his obituary to his family who loved him dearly. Larry Mahan was the
champ, and he forever changed rodeo at every level for cowboys in every event.
One of his very close friends was quoted as
saying, "Larry was a great Champion, certainly an iron man, but no, he was not
the greatest bull rider to ever live, or the greatest bareback rider to ever live,
nor the greatest saddle bronc rider to ever live, he was simply the most important
man in the history of rodeo, he was our Elvis with a fuzzy hat."
He gave all cowboys a glimpse on what a
champion should look like, what they could accomplish after rodeo, how they
should walk, talk, and what they could do to promote the cowboy way of life. He
spent over forty years as an announcer for every cowboy hall of fame, award
program, parade grand Marshall, and any other event connected to cowboys.
He never failed to participate in any project
or program where he thought he could present or improve a cowboy's image. He
was a one-of-kind human being and probably the greatest influencer, spokesman
and advocate for the Western way of life that we will ever know. We know, as
you all do, the end of his rodeo career was only the beginning of his Legend. He
ventured into all aspects of the horse business, media, and he was a regular
contestant at many cuttings and team ropings.
After
his death, we heard many, many, personal stories from dozens of his friends
that went all the way back to his high school days, team tying, calf roping and
even steer wrestling. They all agreed that he loved people, he had time for everyone,
and he treated everyone with respect. His greatest talent may have been his
ability to have hundreds of people view him as a close personal friend. There
were songs that indirectly referred to him, and rodeo movies that used him as
the fictional pattern%u2026..but his life was a much better story than any movie he was
in.
Larry Edward Mahan was born on November 21,
1943, in Salem, Oregon, the eldest of four children of Ray and Reva (English)
Mahan.
Larry Mahan, an eight-time rodeo world champion and swashbuckling
showman who was once called "rodeo's first Matinee Idol"
who
brokered that reputation into side careers as a Hollywood actor, announcer, model,
a country singer and a purveyor of boots, hats, clothes and all things cowboy,
died on May 7 at his home in Valley View, Texas. He was 79.
Mahan
was a young teen when he began competing professionally in rodeo, and by his
early 20s, he was a champion and a star of the sport. His specialties included
saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, and bull riding. In 1965 and 1967, Mahan
was the World Bull Riding Champion, and he won his first of five consecutive
World All-Around Champion titles in 1965. After several difficult years, Mahan
came back to win the All-Around Champion title again in 1973. That competition
was featured in "The Great American Cowboy," which won the Academy Award for
Best Documentary Feature Film in 1974. His rodeo stardom helped popularize the
sport with a mainstream audience.
He
climbed onto bulls and broncs wearing shoulder-brushing locks, as well as silk
shirts and chaps in a rainbow of colors. Away from the arena, he carried
himself like the star he was — tooling around in a Jaguar, traversing the
country in his twin-engine Cessna, appearing as Johnny Carson's guest on "The
Tonight Show." Some likened him to Elvis Presley.
Mahan
retired from rodeo in 1977, but he remained involved in the sport. He hosted
"Equestrian Nation" on RFD-TV and was briefly a rodeo color commentator. Mahan
created a line of Western wear, including popular boots and hats. He appeared
in movies, including "The Good Old Boys", "The Honkers" and "Six Pack Annie,"
and he recorded an album of country music. In 1979, Mahan was inducted into the
ProRodeo Hall of Fame in its inaugural class.
Mahan
is survived by his daughters, Lisa Renee Mahan and Alli Eliza Mahan, and his
sisters, Susan Stockton-Simpson, Jody Thompson and Dana Mahan Hermreck. His
son, Tyrone, passed away in 2020, and his wife, Julanne Read Mahan, passed away
in 2022. His marriages to Darlene Mahan, Robin Holtze and Diana McNab ended in
divorce.
Larry Edward Mahan was born on November 21,
1943, in Salem, Oregon, the eldest of four children of Ray and Reva (English)
Mahan.
