Country legends Sons of the Pioneers coming in June during 85th anniversary tour

Country legends Sons of the Pioneers will return to the Prairies this June as part of the group’s 85th anniversary tour.

The group is synonymous with the ultimate in cowboy music, according to a news release. For decades the premier western singing group has musically painted unforgettable images and stories of horses, cattle, cowboys, night herds, tall timber, cool water, canyons and prairies.

Its original songs, such as “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Cool Water,” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky” are classics, forever entwined into the lore and mystique of the American West. Both “Tumbleweeds” and “Cool Water” have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

More information about the band’s schedule can be found on the group's website. The group performs in Moose Jaw on Thursday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cultural Centre. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Cultural Centre box office. 

First started in 1934 by Roy Rogers and the gifted songwriters Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer, the group garnered national and international fans through appearances in almost 100 western films during the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. Numerous albums were recorded under contracts with Decca, Columbia, RCA and others. The group provided songs for several John Ford westerns, including the soundtrack for The Searchers starring John Wayne.

When television came, they regularly appeared on the Roy Rogers Show and had guest appearances on such programs as the Barbara Mandrell Show. Walt Disney called upon the Pioneers to supply the soundtrack for the film Pecos Bill. The Sons of the Pioneers was the first cowboy musical group to perform at Carnegie Hall and the first to headline in Las Vegas casinos.

In 2018, Roy (Dusty) Rogers Jr. joined the band. In a news release he said, “I am pleased to finally be a member of the band that my Dad founded in 1934. What an honour and pleasure it is for me to be able to join this talented group in order to continue the legacy.”

The current group’s configuration is part of a continuous and uninterrupted 85th year existence in which the band has accumulated more coveted honours and awards than any band in western music, the news release said. This band has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Western Music Association Hall of Fame and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, among others.

Sons of the Pioneers is creating a new CD to mark the occasion of its 85th anniversary. It is expected to be released this year. There will also be a new musical appearing in 2020 called Happy Trails, with the score written by T-Bone Burnett. The story is about Roy Rogers. Son Dusty Rogers is involved in the production.

The band has also been invited to play at the Grand Ole Opry again this fall, in Nashville, Tenn.

Last year the group fundraised for the new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon. This year the group is raising funds for The Rose Garden Hospice in Prince Albert and Ronald McDonald Houses in Alberta.

The group and its music garnered millions of national and international fans through appearances in more than 95 movies, radio, television and major label recording projects. Songs from the Pioneer catalogue have been recorded and used by Bing Crosby, the Boston Pops, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Frankie Laine, Johnny Cash, Riders in the Sky, Michael Martin Murphy, and the Muppets.

In recent movies, the Coen Brothers featured “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” in The Big Lebowski. This past year, “Cool Water” was featured in the Coen Brothers film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and in Clint Eastwood’s The Mule.

“We are honoured to be returning to Saskatchewan and Alberta this summer. We were parade marshals for the Calgary Stampede in the 1990s,” trail boss Tommy Nallie, who joined the group in the 1980s, said in a news release. “Every concert is pure cowboy music packed with our timeless hits, solid western swing and a good measure of comedy and banter. Each of the six members share the vocals and instrumentals.”

Part of the hallmark sound comes from acoustic fiddles, mandolin, upright bass, and lead and rhythm guitars.

More information about Nolan can be found at www.bobnolan.com. Information about Rogers can be found at www.royrogers.com.