Riders in the Sky : romancing the West with music and humor / Bobbie Malone and Bill C. Malone.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Malone, Bobbie, 1944- author.

Malone, Bill C., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Riders in the Sky.

Country musicians--West (U.S.)--Biography.

Country musicians.

Western swing (Music)--History and criticism.

Western swing (Music).

Cowboys--Songs and music--History and criticism.

Cowboys.

Physical Description:

xiv, 248 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Romancing the West with music and humor

Place of Publication:

College Station : Texas A&M University Press, [2025]

Summary:

"For almost five decades, the band known as Riders in the Sky ("America's Favorite Cowboys") has entertained and delighted audiences in Nashville and throughout the United States with their mixture of quirky sendups of the silver-screen Western and their "faultless, evocative instrumentation, perfect harmony, fantasy, and humor." Remarkably, the original Riders-Ranger Doug Green ("The Idol of American Youth"), "Too Slim" (or alternately, "Side Meat"), Fred Labour, and Woody Paul Chrisman ("The King of Cowboy Fiddlers")-have continued to perform together since their first gig on a cold, rainy night in November 1978. Occasionally described as "the most educated band in country music" because of Woody Paul's PhD in plasma physics from MIT, Doug's MA in literature from Vanderbilt, and Too Slim's degree in environmental studies from the University of Michigan, the group has been a popular fixture at the Grand Ole Opry since 1982. Master accordionist Joey Miskulin, a "road scholar" since age 13, joined the band during its second decade and was with them when they won Grammy awards for their work with Disney-Pixar for the albums that accompanied Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. Their appeal to multigenerational audiences continues unabated"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Preface. Riders on Our Minds

Acknowledgments

Introduction. When Riders in the Sky First Rode onto the Country Music Scene

Doug Green : From Boyhood to Bluegrass to Western Music

Fred LaBour : That's Entertainment!

Three on the Trail

The Cowboy Way

The Winning of the West

Band of Brothers

Notes

Discography

General Index

Song Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781648432859

1648432859

OCLC:

1481726663