Riders In The Sky: Romancing The West With Music And Humor

By Bobbie Malone and Bill C. Malone

A newly released biography on the western singing group Riders in the Sky tells the story of its original members still going strong after almost fifty years. Known as “America’s favorite cowboy musicians” and “the most educated band in country music,” the band members are:

• Ranger Doug Green, 79, with a master’s degree in literature from Vanderbilt University. On lead vocals and rhythm guitar, he is “The Idol of American Youth.”
• “Too Slim” Fred LaBour, 77, with a master’s degree in wildlife management from the University of Michigan. On vocals and upright bass, he is also called “Side Meat.”
• Woody Paul, 75, with a PhD in nuclear engineering/plasma physics from MIT. On vocals and fiddle, he is “The King of the Cowboy Fiddlers.”
• Joey Miskulin, 75, protégé of polka king Frankie Yankovic. An accordion virtuoso, he is “The Cowpolka King.”

Riders in the Sky: Romancing the West with Music and Humor was written by music historian Bill C. Malone and biographer Bobbie Malone, a married team who interviewed more than a hundred people in their research. This well-organized book begins with a chapter on Green’s early years, followed by one on LaBour’s life until the two musicians meet in Nashville. Chapter three covers their early days of performing and brings in Woody Paul Chrisman to form a trio in 1978. Chapter four recounts the band’s first decade together. Joey Miskulin is introduced in chapter five as the fourth member. The band’s activities in this new century are explored in the final chapter.

Taking their name from the classic western song “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” the trio quickly agreed to be equal partners and sing only western/cowboy music. With no record deal or label support, they were on their own to make themselves known in those early years. They adopted gaudy western attire that became a trademark, as did Ranger Doug’s show introduction: “Well mighty fine and a big western howdy from Riders in the Sky, brought to you live and direct from the bunkhouse of the old XXX Ranch.” As they continued to take their music and quirky humor on tour around the country, word got around about their excellent musicianship, beautiful harmony, skillful songwriting, and off-the-wall humor. A major coup was being inducted in 1982 as members of the Grand Ole Opry, where they still perform regularly.

Their family-friendly shows, reminiscent of cowboy television shows for children in the 1950s-60s, have always made a point of welcoming children. In 1999, Riders in the Sky provided the soundtrack for the animated Pixar/Disney movie, Toy Story 2. They also recorded a companion album, Woody’s Roundup: A Rootin’-Tootin’ Collection of Woody’s Songs, containing songs about the characters. It won a Grammy for Best Children’s Album.

While their music keeps alive the sound popularized by the Sons of the Pioneers, they’ve added their own songs, such as Ranger Doug’s “That’s How the Yodel Was Born.” Their style and humor are original, and they operate under the philosophy of “The Cowboy Way.” Too Slim explains, “What made the band work was that someone always picked up the slack whenever anyone faltered. There was almost a sense of mission in what we were doing, that this music was important to do justice to.”

They have stayed true to their commitment to preserve and promulgate western music. They’ll also given us such words of wisdom as, “Never drink upstream from the herd” and “If this were a logical world, men would ride sidesaddle.”