The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many 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.
Riders in the Sky is an American Western music and comedy group which began performing in 1977. The band has released more than 40 full length albums, starred in a self-titled television series on CBS lasting two seasons, wrote and starred in an NPR syndicated radio drama Riders Radio Theater, and appeared in television series and films including as featured contributors to Ken Burns' Country Music. Their family-friendly style also appeals to children, exemplified in their recordings for Disney and Pixar. They have won two Grammy Awards and have written and performed music for major motion pictures, including "Woody's Roundup" from Toy Story 2 and Pixar's short film, For the Birds. The band also recorded full length companion albums for Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc.
Lester Alvin Burnett, better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and other B-movie cowboys. He was also a prolific singer-songwriter who is reported to have played proficiently over 100 musical instruments, sometimes more than one simultaneously. His career, beginning in 1934, spanned four decades, including a regular role on CBS-TV's Petticoat Junction in the 1960s.
The Cowboy Way is a live recording released by the Western band Riders in the Sky in 1987. It is available as a single CD. This is the second live album recorded by Riders in the Sky.
Three on the Trail is the debut studio album by the Western band Riders in the Sky, released in 1979 by Rounder Records Group.
Weeds and Water is the fourth studio album by the Western band Riders in the Sky, released in 1983. It is available as a single CD. The album features cowboy music standards like "Cool Water," "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Streets of Laredo," along with several originals.
Cowboy Jubilee is the second studio album by the Western band Riders in the Sky, released in 1981, featuring a title track originally written by Ken Carson of the Sons of the Pioneers. This album features the demanding art of yodeling in harmony; the Riders create arrangements worthy of their original inspirations, Sons of the Pioneers. Originally released on vinyl in 1981 and as a CD in 1990, this album includes their own originals that compare favorably with their versions of older Western classics.
Live is a live recording by the Western band Riders in the Sky released in 1984. It is available as a single CD. It was recorded at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA on March 5th and 6th, 1983.
Saturday Morning with Riders is a studio recording released by the Western band Riders in the Sky in 1992. It is available as a single CD.
Always Drink Upstream from the Herd is a studio recording by the Western band Riders in the Sky, released in 1995.
Public Cowboy #1 is a studio recording released on CD by the Western band Riders in the Sky on October 22, 1996.
Saddle Pals is an album by the Western swing band Riders in the Sky, released in 1985. It is directed toward a children's audience.
Live from the Golden Age of Riders Radio Theater is a compilation album by the Western band Riders in the Sky in 2006. The album is a collection of songs featured on the Riders' weekly radio show: Riders Radio Theater. It is available as a single CD.
Best of the West Rides Again is a compilation recording by the Western band Riders in the Sky in 1989.
Best of the West is a compilation recording by the Western band Riders in the Sky, released in 1987. It is available as a single CD and contains highlights from their first five albums on the Rounder label.
Douglas Bruce Green, better known by his stage name Ranger Doug, is an American musician, arranger, award-winning Western music songwriter, and Grand Ole Opry member best known for his work with Western music and the group Riders in the Sky in which he plays guitar and sings lead and baritone vocals. He is also an exceptionally accomplished yodeler. With the Riders, he is billed as "Ranger Doug — The Idol of American Youth" and "Governor of the Great State of Rhythm". He is also a member of The Time Jumpers.
Frederick Owen LaBour, better known by his stage name Too Slim, is a Grammy award-winning American musician, best known for his work with the Western swing musical and comedy group Riders in the Sky.
Silver Jubilee is a compilation recording released by the Western band Riders in the Sky in 2003.
Riders in the Sky "Lassoed Live" at the Schermerhorn with the Nashville Symphony is a 2009 live album, the highlights of a 3-night concert series recorded by Riders in the Sky in conjunction with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.
Riders Radio Theater was an ongoing radio show performed live by the Western band Riders in the Sky. The series was initially recorded in at the Johnson Theater at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, with WPLN-FM as the presenting station, but moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. These half-hour radio shows can be heard on Tuesdays at 11am (EST) on WMKV 89.3 FM, out of the Cincinnati, Ohio area and on Wednesday Nights at 7:00 PM (CST) on KPMI 1300 AM, out of the Bemidji, Minnesota area. It has recently been picked up by Bluegrass Country Radio on Tuesdays midnight to 1:00am and Fridays 9 until 10:00pm. page It can also be heard on the official Riders In The Sky iTunes page and SoundCloud for free at any time.
