Chris LeDoux was just 56 years old when he passed away in 2005, from a rare form of cholangiocarcinoma, otherwise known as bile duct cancer. Chris was both a rodeo and music star, releasing more than two dozen albums before his death.
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Fortunately, Chris's son Ned is carrying on his father's legacy. Ned, who last released Buckskin in 2022, just released a new album, Safe Haven. The record includes a duet with his late father, on "One Hand In The Riggin'," out now.
"That's a great thing about recorded music," Ned tells People about being able to record music with his father. "It lives forever."
It's the eternal quality of music that allows Ned to sing with his late father. Ned reveals that his dad laid down the vocal track for "One Hand In The Riggin'" two years before he tragically passed away.
"It was the last time he stepped foot in the studio and the last song he ever sang in the studio," Ned reveals. "As far as I know, this is the last thing that my dad ever recorded."
Ned LeDoux Honoring His Father's Legacy
Brenn Hill wrote "One Hand In The Riggin'." Ned believes his father would have released it, if not for his illness and untimely death.
"It pretty much sat on a shelf," Ned reveals. "I got to be friends with Brenn years ago, and he would say that the timing back then just wasn't right, and that he believed that the Lord had a plan for everything. And he told me, 'I think what His plan is for this to be a duet with you and your dad.' So, him giving it to me was a blessing."
Mac McAnally produced the song, creating a moment Ned will never forget.
"He plugged in dad's vocal and mixed it all up," Ned remembers. "It's just so cool to hear my dad's voice along with mine."
As for his father, Ned predicts that, if not for the cancer, Ned would still be riding horses, and still making music.
"I think he'd still be going at it if he was still here," Ned predicts. "I'm not sure if he'd still be riding the bucking machine, but you never know. I wouldn't put it past him."
