The Dallas Cattle Baron’s Ball Lands Shania Twain for Its ‘Iconic’ 50th Year

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” “Call me Ishmael.” “Let’s go, girls.” 

Dickens. Melville. TWAIN. 

Instantly recognizable by its iconic first few notes, Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” is a party anthem for the ages. (There’s a reason Billboard ranked it number one on their list of the 100 Greatest Karaoke Songs of All Time.) If a football team pumps themselves up in the locker room with “We Ready” by Archie Eversole, then Millennial women raised on the “Come On Over” and “Up!” albums get hype to raise millions of dollars for life-saving cancer research by listening to an artist who only requires one name: Shania.

On Wednesday, February 8, more than 400 Dallasites gathered in “western chic” attire at The Village Country Club to hear Cattle Baron’s Ball co-chairs Andrea Cheek and Isabell Novakov Higginbotham reveal the theme, location, and entertainment for the 50th annual Cattle Baron’s Ball. 

What started in a field 50 years ago grew to become the world’s largest single-night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. A pillar of Dallas’ philanthropic circuit, Cattle Baron’s Ball is led by a committee of 100 charitable women known as “baronesses.” To date, Cattle Baron’s Ball has raised more than $93M for life-saving cancer research. 

For the 50th, the shimmering-in-gold co-chairs announced the theme: “Iconic.”

“We wanted a one-word theme that everyone would remember for the 50th,” Cheek explained. “Cattle Baron’s Ball is an iconic Dallas fundraiser, and the Dallas Cattle Baron’s Ball is iconic to American Cancer Society (ACS). There are now 26 Cattle Baron’s Balls throughout the country, but Dallas is the original and continues to be a bright shining star for ACS. We wanted to encapsulate that for this special milestone,” she concluded.

It seemed an impossible task to live up to the inherent expectations of that word, but Cheek and Higginbotham delivered. On Saturday, October 14, 2023, Cattle Baron’s Ball returns to Southfork Ranch. For an event that’s so quintessentially Dallas, there is no more fitting venue. The crowd jubilantly approved of the nostalgic location (along with promises of a more intimate event footprint and better air conditioning!) before turning their attention to screens for The Big News.

Following ball photographs from the past five decades and birthday wishes from past chairs, the video revealed that Randy Rogers Band will perform for the VIP Party. 

“This year’s Cattle Baron’s Ball is at one of the most famous ranches in all of Texas, and we have one of the most beloved Texas country bands–Randy Rogers Band– to kick things off,” Higginbotham said. 

Then, those indelible opening notes followed by the three little words every Texan longs to hear: “Let’s go girls.” 

Shania Twain, the woman impressed by neither a rocket scientist nor Brad Pitt, will perform as the headliner for Cattle Baron’s Ball’s golden anniversary. The crowd erupted in shrieks of joy and immediately started dancing. The general consensus? That *does* impress them much. (Some guests even filled out their underwriting contracts, hot off the printer with the top-secret news, right then and there.)

When it comes to Cattle Baron’s Ball, who runs the world? Girls. Despite that, it’s been a long time since a female artist performed on the Main Stage, and we all hoped that this year would be the year! (Full disclosure: I say “we” because I am a new baroness!) So, how exactly did Cheek and Higginbotham land the legend?

“Honestly, we’re still not sure and pinch ourselves. We wanted a country music icon for the 50th, and we just didn’t give up on that dream!” Cheek humbly replied. “It just felt right to have the number one female country music artist of all time, as we are an organization of 100 women.” 

Well, cowgirls, any man of yours better be proud of you.

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She makes Post Malone get on his feet and dance. She is Nick Jonas’ one celebrity crush. She stole the show from headliner (and recent Grammy-award-winner for Album of the Year) Harry Styles when they performed “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” together at Coachella. (Harry even said to the crowd about Shania, “This lady taught me to sing.”) 

Now, you can see Shania and help give cancer the boot. For ticketing information for Cattle Baron’s Ball, please visit their website.