Las Cruces Ukes Chief Financial Officer Gorton Smith has led Gospel According to Uke at every Las Cruces UkeFest, but this year he’ll be instead attending a family celebration. Fortunately for us, Gary Costley is stepping in! Gary will also be leading our Saturday afternoon jam session.
Gary is a comical musician from Albuquerque, New Mexico, known for his funny and witty songs. Blending inspirations from Weird Al Yankovic and Jonathan Coulton, his music delivers smiles and laughs through his ukulele and lyrics about pop culture and religion.
In 2025, his original song, “Cookin’ With Jesse & Walt” received Best Novelty Song at the New Mexico Music Awards. Gary recently released his debut album, Cookin’ With Jesse & Walt, which includes 12 original songs. He can be seen at an open mic near you with his wheelchair and an arsenal of originals, as well as “rapulele” tunes.
Gorton Smith will be the first to tell you he is not an instructor, but a workshop leader. He will be guiding the festival’s Sunday morning “Gospel According to Uke” sing-along session, which he has conducted with great success at every Albuquerque Ukekopelli Festival and Las Cruces UkeFest.
One of the Las Cruces Ukes board members, Gorton is a retired United Methodist pastor who has served in churches of various sizes across New Mexico and in El Paso, Texas. He’s been playing the ukulele since August 2014, and he believes there is something about a ukulele that touches the soul, and applying that to gospel and spiritual music only heightens one’s experience.
In 2026, Gorton is unable to attend due to family commitments, but Gary Costley will step into his role and lead Gospel According to Uke. Gary will also be leading our jam session on Saturday.
Las Cruces UkeFest 