Carlos Hadaway
Cowboy Boots and Brushes
© Vista Magazine, Autumn 1998
by Michelle Williams
Carlos Hadaway is still in awe of cowboys, even after becoming one. He roped and wrangled for 30 years in Northern Arizona and loves the life. His enthusiasm shines through as he shows photos and memorabilia of his cowboy friends, both Hollywood celebrities and the ones who ride the range. Although his art has brought him fame and fortune, it is his life as the "Arizona Kid" he most enjoys. For public appearances, he's nearly always dressed in the complete regalia of boots, 10-gallon hat and chaps.
To hear Carlos as the "Arizona Kid", tune in to radio station KXCI FM from Tucson on Sundays, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. He's sidekick to "Trail Boss" Jim Easterbrook. Listen as Carlos' coins drop into the nickelodeon and the strains of old country/western music like "Waltz Across Texas" travel the airwaves again. The show, "Legacy of the West", includes vaudeville type comedy as the two (Or is it three? Easterbrook does a fair imitation of John Wayne) follow Route 66 across the state, stopping in little places like Seligman along the way. Carlos always orders the kiddie meals and Shirley Temple drinks.
Born in Portsmouth, VA, and raised in San Diego, Carlos suffered blindness twice from cataracts. After undergoing six operations, he started his self-taught art career. "When the doctors took the bandages off my eyes, I was so impressed with color that I started cartooning," Hadaway says. While still a teenager, he became an editorial cartoonist for a San Diego newspaper and created a logo which would become world famous. It was the little friar with a halo and a bat--the original logo for the San Diego Padres.
Carlos participates in top shows all over the west and has garnered numerous awards, including "Best of Show" at Old Town Temple's Festival of the Arts and the "George Phippen Popular Award" at the George Phippen Western Art Show. One of his paintings hangs in the State Capitol, presented to the State of Arizona by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. His work is found in collections all over the world.
He was honored to be selected as the 1994 Grand Marshal at the world's oldest rodeo, Prescott Frontier Days. He's also been Grand Marshal at the 1992 Pine Country Pro Rodeo in Flagstaff. In November, he'll be interviewing some his his favorite people for his radio show--stars such as Richard Farnsworth, Jane Russell and James Drury.
"I love cowboying more than anything in the world, but I make my living painting," states Carlos. Combining his two passions have made him a success. "I'm recording the last of the cowboys," he says. His large following of admirers appreciate his unique style and true love of the West.
(For additional information about Vista Magazine, please contact Bonnie Kline Advertising at (480) 837-2467).
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