ALAMOSA — One of the most beloved, poetic and widely-known singer-songwriters from the great state of Texas is coming back to Society Hall for a special solo show. 

In the past, Wilkins has played the hall several times as part of the Red River Songwriters Festival traveling show. Twice before, he’s also played solo and has knocked everyone out with his voice, his performances and especially his songs. 

A true troubadour, Wilkins’ songs evoke the deep mystery and wonder of love and life and all it holds while celebrating the things that make it worthwhile. 

For those who have yet to discover Wilkins or his music, this is just a glimpse, just a taste of the soul and the poetry and the heart that live in his lyrics. 

(From The Trains I Missed) 

Here's to the trains I missed/The loves I lost 

The bridges I burned/The rivers I never crossed 

Here's to the call I didn't hear/The signs I didn't heed 

The roads I didn't take/The maps that I just couldn't read 

It's a big old world but I've found my way/And the hell and the hurt lead me straight to it 

Here's to the trains I missed. 

Now, imagine those lyrics put to some fine music and a voice that convinces you this man is doing exactly what he was born to do, and you’ll have a good idea of what spending an evening listening to Walt Wilkins will be like. 

“It’s a mystery to me why certain songs and performers reach inside your being and wake things up and stir things around,” says Society Hall Board member Don Richmond. “But I don’t know anyone who is a better practitioner of that art and servant of that mystery than Walt Wilkins. I’d drive a long way to see this man sing and play. Don’t miss this show.” Richmond will also accompany Walt. 

“Songwriter, singer, traveler, troubadour - the calling I answered, the life I chose, the way I make my way,” Wilkins writes on his website. “I chose to go full time on this road 30 years ago. It's been a spiritual quest, an amazing trip, at turns heartbreaking and transcendent. In that time, I've made twelve solo records, four records with The Mighty Mystiqueros, one with my wife, Tina, and a live record with my friend Kevin Welch. I've had 100 or more songs recorded by other artists, traveled a fair part of the world, and had some very, very large times. 

“I get to work with some inspiring artists on their records. I play all over Texas and as much as the US as we can get to, and even in Europe, where our second home is in The Netherlands. I know a wide, beautiful variety of mighty poets, pickers, philosophers, artists, and wild spirits. I am a most fortunate man. Mostly, I drive, play and sleep and dream. It's a rich experience, a wild ride, and the way I make my way. I hope to meet you if I haven't. If I have, I hope to see you again soon on this path.” 

As Richmond says, this is a show you don’t want to miss. It just might end up being the introduction to a singer-songwriter whose music will become a part of your life. 

Walt Wilkins and his soulful songs, accompanied by Don Richmond, will be at Society Hall, Friday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m.  

Doors will open at 6:30. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 at the door, and are available online at www.societyhall.org, or in Alamosa at the Green Spot on State Avenue.