Ken Graydon’s roots are firmly planted in the west.  His father was a working cowboy in the Seligman, Arizona area in the 20s.  His young antics are the grist for some of Ken’s poems.  Ken’s mother designed the family home, an adobe ranch house, in the San Joaquin Valley north of Bakersfield, California.  It was built of adobe blocks made nearby.  She filled it with Indian and Mexican pots and artifacts.  This was Ken’s home where money was scarce and work was hard.  The family raised cotton, olives and horses.  Ken worked with his parents making it happen which left him with great respect for work and the people who do it.  He turned his focus toward cowboys and men of the sea and railroad. 

Ken learned as a young kid that he could sing.  His mother, younger brother and he sang three part harmony while riding in the car.  He learned later that he could write.  His songs and poems reflect the wisdom and wit of men who made their way by the strength of their hands and keenly developed native intelligence.