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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSONS of the PIONEERS, TheCountry & Western vocal group formed in 1933 by Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan (b Robert Charles Nobles, 1 April 1908, New Brunswick, Canada; d 15 June 1980, Los Angeles) and Tim Spencer (b 13 July 1908, Webb City MO; d 26 April 1974) as the Pioneer Trio, becoming the Sons of the Pioneers when Hugh Farr (b 6 December 1903; d 17 March 1980) and Karl Farr (b 29 April 1909; d 20 September 1961) joined: two real cowboys from Texas, who went on to appear in cowboy movies with Rogers. The group's gentle close-harmony perfectly suited the 'singing cowboy' genre; they sang on the radio, appeared in such films as Rhythm On The Range '36 with Bing Crosby. Nolan and Spencer were exceptional songwriters: Nolan wrote 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds' '27 (a hit for the Pioneers '34 and for Crosby '40 on Decca; sung by Gene Autry in films Tumbling Tumbleweeds '35 and Don't Fence Me In '45, by Rogers in Silver Spurs '43), 'Cool Water' '36 (hit for the Pioneers on Decca '41; a hit again when they recorded it with Vaughn Monroe '48); Nolan and Spencer co-wrote 'Blue Prairie' '36; Spencer wrote 'The Timber Trail' '42, 'Cowboy Camp Meetin' ' '46, 'Cigarettes, Whusky And Wild, Wild Women' and 'The Everlasting Hills Of Oklahoma' '47, 'Careless Kisses' '49 (hit by Eddy Howard), 'Roomful Of Roses' '49 (a hit for the Pioneers on RCA, Howard, Sammy Kaye with Don Cornell, Dick Haymes and George Morgan, all in '49; sung by Autry in film Mule Train '50; revived by Mickey Gilley '74). Spencer co-wrote 'Roses' with Glenn Spencer '50 (another hit for Kaye). The Pioneers recorded for Decca, Columbia, Victor; Lloyd Perryman (b 29 January 1917; d 3 May '77) joined '36, Rogers left '38; they appeared in films Hollywood Canteen '44, The Gay Ranchero '44, Melody Time '48 (Disney cartoon compilation: they sang 'Pecos Bill' with Rogers). Spencer and Nolan left '50: Ken Curtis, Ken Carson, Doyle O'Dell, Dale Warren, Tommy Doss, Rusty Richards and Shug Fisher were all Pioneers in later years; there were albums on RCA. The original six members were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame '80; historical compilations included albums on Columbia and MCA, others from the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville included radio transcriptions '40 and Way Out West; Bear Family issued Wagons West '93, a splendid four-CD box of the RCA recordings. Addenda: Ken Curtis (b Curtis Wain Gates, 2 July 1916, Lamar CO; he grew up in Las Animas, where his father was the sheriff and they lived above the jail; he d 28 April 1991, Fresno CA) studied music in Colorado Springs, sang with big bands including Shep Fields and Tommy Dorsey, appeared in low-budget Westerns and sang with the Sons of the Pioneers 1949-53. He turned to straight acting and appeared in John Ford pictures (Ford was his father-in-law), directed a couple of low-budget monster movies in the 1950s, and became most famous as Festus on TV's Gunsmoke. He said he had styled Festus after a character from the Las Animus days. |