Cheyenne One Step Closer to Having Official Song

The Cheyenne City Council Monday night approved the second reading of an amended ordinance that would make "Cheyenne Anthem" the city's official song.

The ordinance also gives the city the non-exclusive right to use the entire song, any portion of the song or the name of the song for any and all official city commercial and/or non-commercial uses including, but not limited to, merchandise, promotion, advertising, marketing, tourism and education.

Richard Johnson was the lone councilman to vote against the ordinance, expressing concerns that the rock band Kansas already has a song called "Cheyenne Anthem."

"There may be another song out there called that, but we're being explicit that it's the words and music written by Amy and Annie Smith, Ty Warner​ and Todd Dereemer," said Councilman Dicky Shanor.

"Whether there's a contested issue between the band Kansas and these folks around the use of that name I don't think really involves us," he added.

Johnson also asked about the promotion of the song, saying "individuals wrote me in regards to the graphics that are in the video for this."

"This ordinance doesn't have anything to do with the music video," said Shanor.

​The ordinance will be on third and final reading when the council meets on Dec. 10.