Wildfire: The Legend of the Cherokee Ghost Horse

Michael Martin Murphey’s Classic Song

Gets Theatrical Retelling on January 26, 2024

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Some 50 years ago, acclaimed Western artist Michael Martin Murphey had a dream about a mystical ghost horse. Based on a Native American legend that was shared with the young Murphey by his grandfather, Murphey dreamed the entire song, and when he awoke, he and his co-writer Larry Cansler put the finishing touches on the story about a young Nebraska woman searching for her lost pony in a blizzard. 

In 1975, the song, “Wildfire,” soared to the top of the charts, elevating Murphey to “star status,” while earning his Bob Johnston (Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan) produced Blue Sky, Night Thunder album a platinum award from the RIAA.

The song is among the most enduring on the American Music landscape.

On January 26, 2024, the song gets a theatrical retelling when Wildfire: The Legend of the Cherokee Ghost Horse hits some 1100 screens across the country.

Inspired by the # 1 worldwide hit song by Murphey - and the legend of the Cherokee ghost horse - WILDFIRE tells a story of redemption and forgiveness as a young girl deals with her guilt following the tragic death of her parents. With the family facing financial ruin, the survivors move from Texas to Oklahoma to live with the Grandma Bette on her horse farm outside of Tahlequah. Emotionally lost and distraught, young Samantha finds peace from the attention she receives from a mysterious wild horse that seems to be following her as she walks home from school each day.

Written and directed by Eric Parkinson (Future Shock), the film stars Chevel Shepherd (winner of NBC’s The Voice), Mo Brings Plenty (Yellowstone), Adrian Paul (Highlander), Cara Jade Myers (Killers of the Flower Moon) among others. Wildfire is notably the final film of the late Anne Heche, who died following a tragic auto accident in 2022. 

Murphey not only appears in the film as a key character, Pastor Micah, but also provided (along with son Ryan Murphey and Travis Fite) the soundtrack for the film.

Plans for Wildfire: The Legend of the Cherokee Ghost Horse  include streaming to begin on March 1, with DVD / BLU-RAY release on June 4, 2024.

About Michael Martin Murphey

Murphey’s immensely successful music career has spanned five decades and blends such musical genres as folk, country, jazz, rock, Western, and cowboy music. Perhaps best known for his hits “Wildfire,” “Carolina In The Pines,” “What’s Forever For,” “Cowboy Logic,” “Boy From The Country” and “Geronimo’s Cadillac,” Murphey has left an indelible mark on the musical landscape. 

A multi-Grammy nominee, Murphey was awarded a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2019 and is the recipient of numerous Wrangler Awards. As a songwriter, his works have been recorded by the likes of Kenny Rogers, Cher, John Denver, Lyle Lovett, Roger Miller, Hoyt Axton and many more.

Murphey is a native Texan who is now in the Western Music Hall of Fame and has also been recognized and awarded by notable organizations such as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Academy of Country Music, The Grammy Awards, the Country Music Association, and the Texas Music Awards. 

Confirmed by BMI, his song "Wildfire" has been named one of the most played songs in radio history in all formats. He has made more than 36 albums over the span of his career, while also achieving success as a movie actor, script writer, and performer in films such as Lonesome Dove and Hard Country. Music enthusiasts from all over recognize Murphey’s name and certainly agree that the his works have become timeless masterpieces in the world of music.

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