Sons of the Pioneers

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Biography

The Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western music (North America)|Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music (North America)|Western music . Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting,Green, Douglas B. Singing in the Saddle: The History of the Singing Cowboy . Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2002, p.72. they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music (North America)|Western music performers and remained popular through the years. Since 1933, through many changes in membership, the Sons of the Pioneers have remained one of the longest-surviving country music vocal groups in history.

Origins

In the spring of 1931, Ohio-born Roy Rogers|Leonard Slye – the cowboy singer who would later change his name to Roy Rogers – arrived in California and found work as a truck driver, and later as a fruit picker for the Del Monte company in California's Central Valley. He entered an amateur singing contest on a Los Angeles radio show called Midnight Frolics and a few days later got an invitation to join a group called the Rocky Mountaineers.Green, Douglas B. Singing in the Saddle: The History of the Singing Cowboy . Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2002, p.74.

In September 1931, Canadian-born Bob Nolan answered a classified ad in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner that read, "Yodeler for old-time act, to travel. Tenor preferred." The band was The Rocky Mountaineers, by then led by Leonard Slye. After listening to the tall, slender, tanned Nolan sing and yodel, Slye hired Nolan on the spot. Although Nolan stayed with the group only a short time, he stayed in touch with Slye. Nolan was replaced by Tim Spencer (singer)|Tim Spencer , who had been working in a Safeway Stores warehouse.

In the spring of 1932, Slye, Spencer, and another singer, Slumber Nichols, left the Rocky Mountaineers to form a trio, which soon failed. Throughout most of 1932, Slye and Spencer moved through a series of short-lived groups like the International Cowboys and the O-Bar-O Cowboys. Spencer left the O-Bar-O Cowboys and quit music for a while. Slye joined Jack LeFevre and His Texas Outlaws, who were a popular act on a local Los Angeles radio station.Green, Douglas B. Singing in the Saddle: The History of the Singing Cowboy . Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2002, p.75.

In early 1933, Slye, Nolan, and Spencer formed a group called the Pioneer Trio. The three young singers rehearsed for weeks honing their singing. While Slye continued to work with his radio singing group, Spencer and Nolan began writing songs for the group.

Early success

By early 1934, the group consisted of Leonard Slye, Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer on vocals, with Nolan playing string bass and Slye playing rhythm guitar. During that time, fiddle player Hugh Farr joined the group, adding a bass voice to the group's vocal arrangements. He also sang lead on some songs. Later that year, the "Pioneers Trio" became the "Sons of the Pioneers" through a radio station announcer's chance remark. Asked why he'd changed their name, the announcer said they were too young to have been pioneers, but that they could be sons of pioneers. The name was received well and fit the group, who were no longer a trio.

By the summer of 1934, the Sons of the Pioneers' popularity and fame extended beyond the Los Angeles area and quickly spread across the United States through short syndicated radio segments that were rebroadcast all over the country. They signed a recording contract with the newly founded Decca Records|Decca label, and on August 8, 1934, the Sons of the Pioneers made their first commercial recording. That same day, the immensely popular crooner Bing Crosby also made his first Decca session.

One of the first songs recorded by the Sons of the Pioneers during that first August session was written by Bob Nolan, "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", that would soon become a staple in their repertoire. The original title "Tumbling Leaves" was changed to give the song a western character. Over the next two years the group would record 32 songs for Decca.

Film and TV career

Between 1935 and 1984, the Sons of the Pioneers appeared in 87 films, several movie shorts, and a television series.

In 1937, the Sons Of The Pioneers signed a deal with Columbia Pictures to appear in a number of movies. In 1938, Leonard Slye was offered a contract as an actor with rival Republic Pictures . Part of that deal required him to officially leave the group. Leonard Slye changed his name to Roy Rogers, and went on to achieve major success as a singing cowboy in the movies. Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers still remained close throughout the coming years. When their contract with Columbia Pictures ended, they signed a new contract with Republic Pictures to be with Roy. They were soon appearing as highly popular supporting players in many of Roy Rogers' movies.

In addition to their appearances and filmed performances, their music was used in numerous other films and television shows. They recorded songs for the John Ford movies Wagon Master in 1949 and Rio Grande (film)| Rio Grande in 1950, and performed the theme song for the John Ford classic The Searchers (film)|The Searchers in 1956. " Tumbling Tumbleweeds " was used in the Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski in 1998. " Cool Water " was used in the Gore Verbinski animated film Rango (2011 film)|Rango in 2011.

The passing of an era

In 1971, Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer were both elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame . In 1972, most of the surviving members of the Sons of the Pioneers, including the original Pioneer Trio of Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer, gathered at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles for one last performance. In 1976, the Sons of the Pioneers were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame .

And in 1979, Bob Nolan returned to the studio for the final time and recorded a successful solo album of classics and newer compositions titled Bob Nolan & ndash; The Sound of a Pioneer .

The late 1970s saw the passing of an era, as many of the founding members of the group died. Tim Spencer died on April 26, 1976. Lloyd Perryman, who had been with the group since 1936, died on May 31, 1977. Hugh Farr, who had retired from the group in 1958, died on April 17, 1980. Bob Nolan died on June 16, 1980.

The Sons of the Pioneers today

Following the death of Lloyd Perryman in 1977, Dale Warren, who had joined the group in 1952 and continued on until his death on August 8, 2008, took over the leadership of the Sons of the Pioneers (he was in the group for 56 years!), guiding them into the 2000s. They continued to perform in concert and recorded as well with a lineup that featured, amongst many others, Luther Nallie (guitar, vocals), Rusty Richards (vocals), Doye O'Dell (guitar, vocals), Billy Armstrong (fiddle), Billy Liebert (accordion), and Rome Johnson (vocals).

In 2001, a book about the group was published, titled The Sons of the Pioneers by Bill O'Neal and Fred Goodwin.

The current "Trail Boss" of the Sons of the Pioneers is Luther Nallie (vocals), who joined the group in 1968. His fellow band members are Gary LeMaster (guitar), Ken Lattimore (vocals), Randy Rudd (guitar), Mark Abbott (bass), and Ricky Boen (fiddle).

Legacy

In 1977, the Smithsonian Institution , which designates certain artists and performers who have made a noteworthy contribution to the arts and culture of America, named the Sons of the Pioneers as "National Treasures".

In 1995, the Sons of the Pioneers were inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma .

The Sons of the Pioneers were the first Country music|Country and Western music (North America)|Western group to sing at Carnegie Hall , and the first to perform at the lavish nightclubs in Las Vegas.Forsythe, Wayne. "The Sons of the Pioneers" in Country Music , April 1975 The group has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6845 Hollywood Blvd. for recording.

Timeline

Since 1933, 41 singers and musicians have been official members of the Sons of the Pioneers.

# Roy Rogers (1933–1937) lead vocals, guitar
# Bob Nolan (1933–1949) baritone vocals, bass
# Tim Spencer (singer)|Tim Spencer (1933–1936, 1938–1949) tenor and lead vocals
# Hugh Farr (1934–1959) bass vocals, fiddle
# Karl Farr (1935–1961) lead guitar
# Lloyd Perryman (1936–1943, 1946–1977) tenor and lead vocals, guitar
# Pat Brady (1937–1943, 1946–1949, 1959–1968) bass
# Ken Carson (1943–1947) tenor vocals, guitar
# Deuce Spriggens (1943, 1954–1955) bass
# Shug Fisher|George "Shug" Fisher (1944–1946, 1949–1953, 1956–1959) bass
# Ken Curtis (1949–1953) lead vocals
# Tommy Doss (1949–1963) baritone vocals
# Dale Warren (1952–2008) lead and baritone vocals, bass
# George Bamby (1959–1960) accordion
# Roy Lanham (1961–1986) lead guitar
# Wade Ray (1961–1962) fiddle
# Rusty Richards (1963–1966, 1974–1984)
# Billy Armstrong (1966–1972) fiddle
# Bob Minser (1967–1968) tenor vocals, bass
# Luther Nallie (1968–1974, 1980–2004, 2007–present) vocals, lead guitar, bass
# Billy Liebert (1974–1980) accordion, arranger
# Doc Denning (1980) fiddle
# Dale Morris (1981–1983) fiddle
# Tommy Nallie (1983–1988) drums
# Sunny Spencer (1984–2005) lead vocals
# Jack Nallie (1984) bass
# Jack LaRoux (1985) bass
# Gary Foster (1986) bass
# Gary LeMaster (1986–2006, 2008-present) tenor vocals, lead guitar
# Daryl Wainscott (1987–1993) keyboards
# David Bradley (1989–1993) vocals, guitar
# John Nallie (1993–2000) lead vocals, keyboards, and drums
# Roy Warhurst (1994–1997) fiddle
# Ken Lattimore (1998–present) tenor vocals, fiddle
# Randy Rudd (2001–present) lead vocals, guitar
# Preston Eldridge (2001–2006) bass
# Jarrett Dougherty (2001–2002) drums, comedy
# Waylon Herron (2004–2006) vocals, guitar
# Justin Sifford (2006) vocals, guitar
# Ricky Boen (2006–present) fiddle
# Mark Abbott (2006–present) bass

Honors and awards

1971 Western Heritage Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame

1976 Gene Autry Award

1976 Award

1977 Smithsonian Institute 's "National Treasure" Designation

1980 Country Music Hall of Fame Country Music Association Award

1984 New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame Award

1986 Grammy Hall of Fame Award|Grammy Award for " Cool Water "

1988 Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame

1994 Western Music Association Hall of Fame Award

2003 Golden Boot Awards|Golden Boot Award by Motion Picture and Television Fund

Discography

Albums

Sing the Stephen Foster Songbook (Varese Sarabande, 2010)

Cigareets, Whusky...And Cool, Cool Water (USD, 2010)

Way Out There: The Complete Commercial Recordings 1934-1943 (BFR, 2009)

Western Hymns and Spirituals (Varese Sarabande, 2008)

The Republic Years (Varese Sarabande, 2006)

Classic Cowboy Songs (Varese Sarabande, 2006)

My Saddle Pals and I (United States of Distribution, 2005)

Under Western Skies (Varese Sarabande, 2005)

Classic Western Harmony, Vol. 2 (2005)

RCA Country Legends (Sony Music Entertainment, 2004)

The Essential Collection (Varese Sarabande, 2003)

The Sons of the Pioneers: Ultimate Collection (Hip-O, 2002)

Cigareets, Whusky...And Cool, Cool Water (ASV, 2002)

Memories of the Lucky U Ranch (Jasmine Records, 2002)

The Essential Collection (South Side Phunk, 2002)

Symphonies of the Sage (Bloodshot, 2001)

Teleways Transcriptions (Soundies, 1999)

Tumbling Tumbleweeds (Country Stars, 1999)

Our Best to You (1999)

Songs of the Trail (Pair, 1991)

Country Music Hall of Fame (MCA Records, 1991)

Country & Western Memories (Pair, 1991)

The Sons of the Pioneers (RCA Special Products DVL2-0247;Lourie House LH8017 1977)

Empty Saddles (1990)

Sunset on the Range (Pair, 1990)

Tumbling Tumbleweeds (RCA Records, 1989)

Collection, Vol. 1 (Bear Family Records, 1987)

Collection, Vol. 2 (Bear Family Records, 1987)

Collection, Vol. 3 (Bear Family Records, 1987)

Collection, Vol. 4 (Bear Family Records, 1987)

Tumbling Tumbleweeds (Universal Special Products, 1987)

A Hundred and Sixty Acres (1987)

Land Beyond the Sund (1987)

Teardrops in My Heaven (1987)

Tumbling Tumbleweeds (MCA, 1986)

Twenty of the Best (1985)

Columbia Historic Edition (Columbia, 1982)

''Let's Go West Again (1981)

A Country-Western Songbook (1977)

Riders in the Sky (1973)

The Sons of the Pioneers Visit the South Seas (1969)

San Antonio Rose (Delta Records, 1968)

San Antonio Rose & Other Country Favorites (Special Music, 1968)

South of the Border (1968)

Campfire Favorites (1967)

The Songs of Bob Nolan (1966)

The Best of the Sons of the Pioneers (1966)

Legends of the West (1965)

Down Memory Trail (1964)

Sons of the Pioneers Best (1964)

Tumbleweed Trails (Vocalion, 1964)

Country Fare (1964)

Trail Dust (1963)

Hymns of the Cowboy (1963)

The Sons of the Pioneers Sing Hymns of the Cowboy (1963)

Good Old Country Music (Delta Records, 1963)

Our Men out West (1963)

Tumbleweed Trails (1962)

Lure of the West (1961)

Westwood Ho! (1961)

Room Full of Roses (1960)

Cool Water (BMG International, 1959)

Cool Water (RCA Records, 1959)

Wagons West (RCA Camden Classics, 1958)

''One Man's Songs (1957)

How Great Thou Art (1957)

Twenty-Five Favorite Cowboy Songs (1956)

25 Favorite Cowboy Songs (1955)

Favorite Cowboy Songs (1955)

Western Classics (1953)

Cowboy Hymns and Spirituals (1952)

Cowboy Classics (1952)

Singles

Year	Single	Chart Positions
Year	Single	US Country	US	CAN Country
1945	"Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima"	4	—	—
1946	"No One to Cry To"	6	—	—
1947	"Baby Doll"	5	—	—
	" Cool Water "	4	—	—
	"Cigareetes, Whusky, and Wild, Wild Women"	5	—	—
	"Teardrops in My Heart"	4	—	—
1948	"Blue Shadows on the Trail" (with Roy Rogers )	6	—	—
	"(There'll Never Be Another) Pecos Bill" (with Roy Rogers)	13	—	—
	" Tumbling Tumbleweeds "	11	—	—
	"Cool Water"	7	—	—
1949	"My Best to You"	12	—	—
1949	" Room Full of Roses "	10	26	—
1955	"The Ballad Of Davy Crocket"	—	—	—
1976	"Cool Water"	—	—	34
1980	"Ride Concrete Cowboy, Ride" (with Roy Rogers)	80	—	—

Filmography

1951 Fighting Coast Guard

1950 Rio Grande

1950 ''Everybody's Dancin

1948 Night Time in Nevada

1948 Eyes of Texas (film)|Eyes of Texas

1948 Melody Time

1948 Under California Stars

1948 Unusual Occupations (short)

1948 The Gay Ranchero

1947 On the Old Spanish Trail

1947 Springtime in the Sierras

1947 Bells of San Angelo

1947 Hit Parade of 1947

1947 Apache Rose

1946 Heldorado

1946 Home in Oklahoma

1946 Roll on Texas Moon

1946 Under Nevada Skies

1946 My Pal Trigger

1946 Rainbow Over Texas

1946 Home on the Range

1946 Ding Dong Williams

1946 Song of Arizona

1945 ''Don't Fence Me In

1945 Sunset in El Dorado

1945 Along the Navajo Trail

1945 Man from Oklahoma

1945 Bells of Rosarita

1945 Utah

1944 Hollywood Canteen

1944 Lights of Old Santa Fe

1944 San Fernando Valley

1944 Song of Nevada

1944 The Yellow Rose of Texas

1944 Cowboy and the Senorita

1944 Hands Across the Border

1943 The Man from Music Mountain

1943 Silver Spurs

1943 Song of Texas

1943 Idaho

1942 ''Ridin' Down the Canyon

1942 Heart of the Golden West

1942 Sunset Serenade

1942 Call of the Canyon

1942 Sons of the Pioneers

1942 Romance on the Range (film)|Romance on the Range

1942 Sunset on the Desert

1942 South of Santa Fe

1942 Man from Cheyenne

1941 Red River Valley (1941 film)|Red River Valley

1941 Outlaws of the Panhandle

1941 The Pinto Kid

1940 Thundering Frontier

1940 West of Abilene

1940 The Durango Kid

1940 Texas Stagecoach

1940 Blazing Six Shooters

1940 Bullets for Rustlers

1939 Two-Fisted Rangers

1939 The Stranger from Texas

1939 Outpost of the Mounties

1939 Riders of Black River

1939 The Man from Sundown

1939 Western Caravans

1939 Spoilers of the Range

1939 North of the Yukon

1939 Texas Stampede

1939 Community Sing: Songs of the West (short)

1938 Rio Grande

1938 West of the Santa Fe

1938 The Colorado Trail

1938 South of Arizona

1938 West of Cheyenne

1938 Law of the Plains

1938 Call of the Rockies

1938 Cattle Raiders

1937 Outlaws of the Prairie

1937 The Old Wyoming Trail

1936 The Old Corral

1936 The Big Show

1936 California Mail

1936 Rhythm on the Range

1936 Song of the Saddle

1936 The Mysterious Avenger

1935 Gallant Defender

1935 Way Up Thar (short)

1935 Slightly Static (short)

Copyright Citations

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1. Roy Rogers 2. Michael Murphey 3. Country music 4. John Stewart

Undetermined Music Artists