Riders in the Sky: Romancing the West with Music and Humor

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. Riders in the Sky: Romancing the West with Music and Humor will entertain and inform both the group’s legions of dedicated fans and aficionados of country and western music.

About the Author :
Bobbie Malone is the author of Lois Lenski: Storycatcher and Rabbi Max Heller: Reformer, Zionist, Southerner. She also coauthored with Bill Traveler: The Musical Odyssey of Tim O’Brien and Nashville’s Songwriting Sweethearts: The Boudleaux and Felice Bryant Story. Bill C. Malone is the author of Country Music, USA, which served as the narrative framework for Ken Burns’s 2019 documentary series, Country Music, Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’: Country Music and The Southern Working Class, and Singing Cowboys and Musical Mountaineers.

Review :
"The Riders are truly a legion of legends."--Hal Cannon, founding director of the Western Folklife Center--Hal Cannon "Perhaps within close range of the Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments in South Dakota land, another mountain could be carved in tribute to the Riders in the Sky. Why not? They are icons, national treasures, brilliant musicians--stars of stage, screen, records, and radio. True Western Statesmen. Meanwhile, as we wait for the Riders in the Sky to become rock stars, Bill C. and Bobbie Malone present to us a vibrant portrait of a great American story. An unlikely band of characters from diverse backgrounds form a musical circle to champion the singing cowboy heroes of their youth and, in doing so, they themselves become singing cowboys, as well as folk heroes. This book more than lives up to the title of one of the Riders classic instrumentals. It is truly a Big High Wire Hop."--Marty Stuart, Congress of Country Music --Marty Stuart For nearly 50 years, Riders in the Sky have captivated audiences with their unique blend of extraordinary musicianship and side-splitting comic antics--what one of them calls 'Monty Python meets the Sons of the Pioneers.' In this book, Bobbie and Bill Malone secure the Riders' rightful place in country music history, recounting the story of their remarkable journey, which simultaneously entertained millions of people and revived the venerable American tradition of the singing cowboy."--Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, creators of PBS's Country Music--Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan