BOB NOLAN: EARLY LIFE AND CAREER (1940-1941)
April 22, 1940 census - Bob was living at 2500 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, California, still single.
By July, 1940, the Pioneers had procured their release from Columbia and were considering three options after their planned tour to Chicago: their own series of movies, a series of shorts or joining Roy Rogers at Republic. "Lots o' deals on right now...." (Tumbleweed Topics p. 2, Vol. 1, No. 9, July, 1940)
But first came their planned tour east. From July 21, 1940 to September, 1941 the
Pioneers were away from Hollywood on their first national tour, ending up in
Chicago for a scheduled one-week's appearance on the Uncle Ezra program. They
were so much in demand that they took a vote among themselves and remained for
nearly a year, traveling up to Pennsylvania to appear at the
Sleepy Hollow Ranch,
etc. They were to open in Appalachian, Virginia on July 25, 1940 with these
dates afterward:
August 9-10 Strand, Altoon, PA
August 11-12 Rialto, Lewiston, PA
Next four days "touring".
August 17-18 Himmelreicht Grove, Womelsdorf, PA
August 21 driving
August 22 Waynsboro, Waynesboro, VA
August 23 driving
August 24-25 C-Bar-C Ranch, Elverson, PA
September 28, 1940 First Uncle Ezra program
September 29, 1940 Canton, Illinois (their wives were with them)
(The Calin Coburn
Collections ©2004)
The Uncle Ezra Show
The Aristocrats of the Range
(Courtesy of Kathy Kirchner)
Courtesy of Wayne Perryman
They eventually brought their families who lived with them in Chicago for about nine months. Karl Farr Jr. remembers that they stayed in the North Park Hotel. Bob scribbled the verses to The Wind is Warm Again on hotel stationery.
(The Calin Coburn Collections ©2004)
In 1940, the Sons of the Pioneers began a fanzine of 8 pages named Tumbleweed Topics. Each of the men plus Roy Rogers had his own column and their fans could keep track of their activities. It was humorously and simply written, appealing to the younger fans as well as adults. Free photographs were offered and their songbooks were advertised. Their manager at that time was Sam Allen and he was in charge of Tumbleweed Topics. 16,000 copies of the 10th issue alone were printed in 1941.
"...the Prairie Prattler was the parent of this publication. It was a one-page mimeographed masterpiece pecked out on a 1904 Oliver typewriter by our mythical man-of-all-work, Snowball. Well, good or bad, hit or miss, and lots of months we missed, you folks just kept right on writin' and askin' for more. We decided loyalty like that was deservin' of a better deal and real printin' on real paper. From the bottom of our hearts we say 'Thank you' and we hope you'll like Tumbleweed Topics." (p. 2, Tumbleweed Topics, Vol 1 No 8, June, 1940)
It was while they were in Chicago that they recorded about 200 songs for NBC's Orthacoustic Recording Division called Symphonies of the Sage. The label read "Produced by Roy Rogers, Inc." This set was completed in August of 1940.
Bob felt that, because the Pioneers could select and arrange the songs and provide their own instrumentation, these transcriptions were the best examples of how the Pioneers sounded at that time.
These recordings of Bob's songs are considered the closest to what he intended when he wrote them and had them published in American Music's song folios, Bob Nolan's Folio of Original Cowboy Classics No. 1 & 2.
After finishing 39 weeks in Chicago with...Uncle Ezra, we hit out for Pennsylvania and points in the East. Had a great time, thanks to such folks as Uncle Jack and Mary Lou at Himmelreich Grove, the Newman gang at Sleepy Hollow, Cousin Lee at Radio Park, Mr. Schwarz at Clown Park, Shorty Fencher and the gang at Valley View and ....friendly crew up on the Lone Star Ranch at Reed's Ferry, New Hampshire. (Hugh Farr, p. 2 Tumbleweed Topics, Vol. 1 No. 10, summer 1941)
Bob Nolan at Kennywood Park, Pittsburgh, PA
(The Martha Retsch Collection)
Photos by fans when the Sons of the Pioneers were on tour. Pennsylvania, 1940 08 04
Left: Bob Nolan Right: Helen Schmuck, Bob Nolan and Karl Farr
(The John Fullerton Collection)
Bob Nolan, Pat Brady, Lloyd Perryman and Karl Farr, Pennsylvania, 1940 08 04
(John Fullerton Collection)
(John Fullerton Collection)
Left: Bob Nolan, Pennsylvania, 1940 08 04 Right: Fan club president, Martha Retsch, with Bob.
(John Fullerton Collection)
Pennsylvania, 1940 08 04
(John Fullerton Collection)
NOTE: There is some disagreement about dates with these snapshots so we have used the dates written on each snapshot. We do not know if the dates were written on the pictures at the time or added later. The clothing is the same.
Back: Bob Nolan, Hugh Farr, Tim Spencer and Pat Brady
Front: Karl Farr, Lloyd Perryman and Sam Allen
July 20, 1941
Back: Hugh and Karl Farr, unidentified (Tony Fiore?), Tim Spencer and Sam Allen
Front: Bob Nolan and Lloyd Perryman
July 20, 1941 Valleyview Park
Sleepy Hollow Ranch, Quakertown, Pennsylvania,1941
(John Fullerton Collection)
[In 1939] a group out of Philadelphia called the Sleepy Hollow Gang were on a big 50,000-watt radio station, WCAU, and had a morning show. They had a big summer park called Sleepy Hollow Ranch out at Quakerstown, Pennsylvania. Every Sunday, this was during the War now, they booked acts like Red Foley, the Hoosier Hotshots and Roy Acuff. It was nothing to have 20,000 people show up in that park. (Rex Allen, p. 11, Arizona Cowboy by Rex Allen with Snuff Garrett, 1982)
Sam Allen and unidentified fan,
Sleepy Hollow Ranch, Quakertown, Pennsylvania,1941
(John Fullerton Collection)
Photo by Francis Bates, 1941
(John Fullerton Collection)
Photo by Francis Bates at Reeds Ferry NH, 1941
Courtesy of Fred Sopher
(John Fullerton Collection)