John Payne, “The One Arm Bandit,” headed to Lockhart

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                             

    The 2026 Chisholm Trail Homecoming Rodeo is getting one of the most recognizable and beloved entertainers in rodeo history.

   John Payne, better known as “The One Arm Bandit”, has been announced as the event’s Specialty Act, and fans can expect plenty of laughs, heart, and unforgettable moments when he rolls into the arena.

    Payne, now 64, likes to say he died 44 years ago, and that’s exactly why he’s so happy today.

   To understand Payne, you must go back to his early years growing up on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma. At age 20, while working with what he didn’t realize were live electrical wires, Payne was hit with 7,200 volts of electricity. The shock burned his arm and leg, exited through his stomach, and sent him falling more than 20 feet. He lay dead on the ground for five minutes before a friend revived him with CPR.

   “See, I got killed when I was 20,” Payne said. “So, I started over.”

   The accident cost him his arm, and, for a time, his direction in life. Payne found himself $100,000 in debt and living with his grandmother while he rebuilt from the ground up, literally constructing his own trailer from scratch.

   That trailer, along with a horse and a big idea, became the foundation of a rodeo career. Payne convinced someone to give him a chance to perform, and that single opportunity turned into a lifetime on the road.

   That was about 30 years and roughly 5,000 shows ago.

   “I don’t have to act,” Payne said. “I’m just playing myself.” He calls the animals his best friends, and his livelihood. “I spend all my money on my animals,” Payne said. “I love my animals, and I take very good care of them because we go down the road making a living together.”

   Payne’s act features him riding into the arena alongside his trailer, joined by his animals, which he somehow convinces to walk up a ramp and climb on top. The result is a one-of-a-kind performance that consistently brings crowds to their feet.

   “What they can expect to see is the very best rodeo entertainment in the world,” he said.

   That claim isn’t just talk. Payne has been named Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Specialty Act of the Year an incredible 15 times over the past three decades, more than anyone else in rodeo history.

   Today, the act has become a family affair. Payne’s son, Lynn, and daughter, Amanda, also perform at events across the country, and Payne hopes one day his grandkids will take over the show. Until then, retirement isn’t on his radar. Despite more than 20 broken bones over the years, Payne still breaks his own horses and keeps rolling down the road, smiling all the way.