Bob Nolan Q & A 2010

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Before I forget, I wanted to alert you to an error that is on TV’s Encore Western station.

It seems that Encore will be running Roy Rogers videos in 2010 which is great. However—and to Sons of Pioneer fans this is a big however—they are confusing the SOPs with Willig’s group, which replaced the SOPs in Roy’s videos after around 1948 or so.

Encore brings in western singers who share stories about the old stars. E.g., Gene Autry stories are used to introduce singing clips from his movies. I enjoy them and to the best of my knowledge they are accurate.

A few days ago, two western singers observed how much they enjoyed working with the SOPs. They are relatively young so I assumed that these two people sang with the SOPs in Branson, Mo. Instead, they showed a clipping of Roy and Dale from the 1950s with Willig group. This isn’t a criticism of Willig but rather recognition that his group and the SOPs (Bob’s or the Branson bunch) are very different in quality and strength. Fans of the Sons of the Pioneers can see clippings of the group by watching older videos of Roy and Dale. So it isn’t a matter of lack of availability.

Florence M. Stone
Editorial Director
American Management Association
1601 Broadway
New York, New York 10019

As you may have heard, Jan 8 was the 75th anniversary of Elvis Presley's birth. Lona and I will have our tribute show for him this coming Monday. Elvis fans! Jan 8, 2010 marked the 75th anniversary of his birth.

Monday, Jan 11 -KMSU-FM Miss Lona and Jazz Tonight will present an official Elvis tribute with special guest, Lonesome Ron. Showtime: 7-9 pm CST The BEST Elvis music you EVER heard.

Live through the internet
Check it out:www.mnriv.com/hobart.htm

We were not able to find a guest in time for the show so we will just play the CDs and talk about his life. Hope you get the chance to listen. Also, last summer I put together some promotional videos from some of my concerts. You can see and hear some clips of last season's performances you can find them by using the link:

And from the internet soap opera spoof, "As The Corn Grows." My part occurs about 2 or 3 minutes into each show. Here are some samples: "Oh Susanna:" http://www.ourstorymn.com/38_corn.html

http://www.cowboypal.com/fanclub2.html

For archived Trivia check here:
October 27 - November 30, 2009 Bobby Copeland's Trivia Corner - Archives

Bobby Copeland

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January 16, 2010

A couple things I thought you might be interested in for your Discography page...first, there's an Irish singer named Seamus Kennedy whose new CD "Sidekicks and Sagebrush" includes covers of three Nolan songs (Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Cool Water & Way Out There). You can read the liner notes, in which he makes some very flattering remarks about the Pioneers and their music, here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/seamuskennedy15

Second, there is a CD called "King of The Singing Cowboys" which features cuts from Roy Rogers' radio performances in the '40s and '50s, on which he's backed by the Pioneers on several tracks. Info here: http://www.ccmusic.com/item.cfm?itemid=CCM10692

Incidentally, while doing some reading about old radio shows in general, I found a mention of an early '40s Roy Rogers program, "Call of the West," which supposedly featured Gabby Hayes, Sally Payne and the Sons of the Pioneers - have you ever found any information about or recordings of that show?

Thank you very much, Elisabeth for the links, Elisabeth. We'll add them to our Discography page. We will try to track down "Call of the West", too.

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January 17, 2010

It was Laurence Harvey in the "Alamo", not Paul Harvey. Love your site...I watched "Rio Grande" last night, and just had to know more about the Sons of the Pioneers". Thank you. Angelo Martilini.

You are quite right, Angelo. Thank you very much for pointing this out to us. Paul Harvey was a much older man.

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January 19, 2010

Check out the new Silver Screen Cowboy Project 2-CD set!

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January 19, 2010

Thought you would like to know that someone put the ending of Utah on YouTube. Good quality. Of course the Sons sing "5 Little Miles". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWa2BfRNAm8

Fred

Thanks, Fred. I noticed while I was there that someone has put a lot of the Roy Rogers / Sons of the Pioneers song sequences on YouTube.

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January 21, 2010

hi, can you tell me about Karl farr?
Rachel Skelton

Go to www.bobnolan-sop.net and click on: "Biographies:, then, "The Sons of the Pioneers", then "Karl Farr". Or click on this quick link: http://bobnolan-sop.net/Biographies/The%20Story%20of%20SOP/Karl%20Farr/Karl%20Farr.htm

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January 24, 2010

Bob Nolan and the Pioneers were in a class all by themselves. Even if you didn't like country or "hillbilly" music, you would have to agree that their renditions of western songs were the best. I always enjoyed them in Roy Rogers' movies and Bob Nolan had a sense of humor that played well against Roy. Nolan also co-starred with Charles Starrett in his series.

Mike Newton

Go to our Movie of the Month page and you'll find plot summaries and photos from many of these films, Mike.

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January 28, 2010 William (Bill) Jacobson

Bill died today after complications from a brief illness. The last few years saw that he had much trouble communicating with Western music lovers, please be assured that it never left his heart. Please play the beautiful song “Wandering” in his memory.

- Mary Rogers

Email: crestlinecolorado@comcast.net

Address: 136 Pearl Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521

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January 29, 2010 William (Bill) Jacobson

First, thank you for the wonderful Bob Nolan website! What great memories and tribute. I have been involved in Western music all my life, grew up with the Pioneers music, etc. I have performed with several chuckwagon groups, Dick Goodman and the Reinsmen, met Bobbie Nolan and several WMA functions, Tommy Doss tribute...I feel like I am part of the family!

Just a quick note: I was browsing the pictures trying to identify different people and occasions. My small addition is for Pic #13 showing Bob visiting a boy in a hospital with a cast on his leg. You mentioned the marking on the sheet said "Texas Scott ______ Hospital" All I can add is that there is a big medical center called Scott and White, located in Temple, TX. (central part of the state, north of Austin on I-35). Perhaps this will add a small piece of the puzzle.

Thanks again for sharing Bob with all of us.

Leon Butts

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February 1, 2010

Just want to say thanks again for your splendid work on the Bob Nolan website. The man was so prolific in his writing and composing and so inspirational in his lyrics. You are doing a great service. Thanks for keeping the work of this great western writer and performer before us. I am working on a Wilf Carter tribute. Just me and my guitar -- the way Wilf did it -- minus the yodel!
Abe Reddekopp www.alwaysacowboy.com

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February 1, 2010

Posted on my web site. http://www.thewagonmasters.com/news.htm

Thanks,

Billy Beeman

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February 1, 2010

I understand Garrison Keillor was here in Tucson over the weekend and he did a Pioneers song! I wonder which one? As OJ says, he probably either heard about Bob's roots here or the history of the WMA here.

Bob

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February 1, 2010

Thank you very much. I have been a fan of this site for a couple of years now and it never grows old. I am with ya'll almost every night enjoying the music and the videos. It is very admirable of you for the honor you have afforded Mr. Nolan by the presentation of this site and to share it with all of us 60-something kids. Kids who know that we grew up at the very best time in the world's history. Thanks for the reflections.

Archie Christian arkansasarch@hotmail.com

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February 2, 2010

Missing Starretts now available! The Old Corral had this announcement today: "February 1, 2010: Michael Nella e-mailed that Sinister Cinema is releasing three of the Charles Starrett westerns, COLORADO TRAIL (1938), SPOILERS OF THE RANGE (1939) and WEST OF SANTA FE (1938). Sinister's website is at: http://www.sinistercinema.com/

Elizabeth

Wonderful news. I'm heading to Sinister Cinema right now to order them! Thanks, Elisabeth.

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February 2, 2010

When he is on the road, Garrison Keillor usually includes a lot of historical information about the venue. In that context, he said that he was in Tuscon, where Bob Nolan went to high School, before heading to California , where he helped form the Sons of the Pioneers. There was a smattering of applause. He then did a duet with one of his guests of “Cool Water”. Later in the show he also paid tribute to Marty Robbins, whom he described as “one of my heroes”.

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February 2, 2010 William Jacobson 1957 – 2010

Bill Jacobson passed away this week after a brief illness. Bill was a founding member of the Western Music Association. At the initial meeting in Las Vegas in 1988, volunteers were needed to launch a publication that would pick up where the Sons of the Pioneers newsletter left off. It would broaden the scope of coverage to include new music releases, articles of historical interest, and help bring together musicians and fans who were interested in preserving and continuing Western music. Bill Jacobson & Mary Rogers volunteered. As Gary McMahan says, Bill fanned the embers when Western music had started to fade, until there was a small flame and Western music could take hold again.

Until Bill had to have brain surgery and his illness took its toll, leading to his retirement from involvement in Western music activities, he was instrumental in spreading the word about Western music, both classic and contemporary. With their journal, Song of the West, Bill and Mary set the standard and led the way for the WMA to launch publications that gradually took on a professional look that has helped promote the image of the WMA. He was talented and very knowledgeable, but more importantly, he was a good guy.
His memorial service is Thursday February 4th at 12:30 PM at the Allnutt Funeral Home in Fort Collins, CO.

~ Lindalee Green

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February 4, 2010

One remark to the "Song of the month" "Three friends have I". I really like this song from the first time I've heard it on the Rex A. jr. LP. But listening to the demo Bob made himself ... What a difference. Without the orchestral accompaniment - only with guitar it sounds much, much better. That song should be recorded again from someone only with few instruments so the music won't cover the words.

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February 4, 2010

Interesting things turn up on Ebay. The oft-reproduced portrait of Bob in "Hands Across the Border" is actually a crop from a bigger picture that included Roy Rogers. Never saw this version before.

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February 10, 2010

The Internet Movie Database lists Bob Nolan as having an uncredited bit part in Gene Autry's "The Old Barn Dance" (1938). Is that correct? I'd never noticed that before.

Roy Rogers (Dick Weston) called a square dance in the picture and I assume the Pioneers backed him but I have only a cut film. I understand that a lobby card for "The Old Barn Dance" shows the Pioneers as rubes with teeth blacked out. I haven't seen it myself.

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February 17, 2010

My version of the video is 60 minutes and I watched it until the end of the barn dance last night. (I didn't want to see the rest of it.) The Beverly Hillbillies are mentioned in the credits, as is Dick Weston. I did not see any sign of Bob or the other Pioneers. Roy was calling the square dance but he was in the background on the stage, never a close view of him. Later, it showed various members of the group playing and none of the faces were familiar.

Listing RR as being in the movie is just an attempt to get people to buy the video (I did) and if one doesn't listen for him calling, one would never know he is in the film.

Grace

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February 26, 2010

I ran across two discussion threads at the Mudcat Discussion Forum which talk about the song "Heavenly Aeroplane" being a traditional song that existed possibly as far back as 1920 - is this one that Bob Nolan only wrote the music for?

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=25735&messages=26
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=589

Good sleuthing! Heavenly Aeroplane appears to be the second Bob Nolan song that he changed to suit himself and registered as his own, not illegal but rather unusual behavior for Bob who prided himself on being strictly original. Actually, because the songs in the song folios were copyrighted by American Music for the Sons of the Pioneers, Bob would have known nothing about it until the folios were out. It was American Music's job to search copyrights, a job much more time consuming in the days before computers.

To quote Ken Griffis from the JEMF Quarterly, Spring 1980 p. 7,

"Bob Nolan approached Lem Giles, of the Beverly Hill Billies, to see if the two groups might exchange a few of their unpublished tunes. Such tunes could not be used on the air without the consent of the composer. Giles turned down each Nolan request. Finally, a frustrated Nolan informed Giles that if he didn’t cooperate he would take one of Giles’ most popular songs, "The Little Choir Boy Sings All Alone Tonight", change one note every four bars and take credit for it. Out of that challenge came the beautiful Nolan tune, I Wonder if She Waits for Me Tonight."

Unfortunately, we have been unable to find "The Little Choir Boy Sings All Alone Tonight" to check the words and melody. You can check both the Nolan and the McConnell versions of Heavenly Aeroplane here.

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March 6, 2010

The Sons of the Pioneers will be on the RFD-TV channel on the new “Presley’s Country Jubilee” Show tonight at 6:30 (Branson time, half hour before the Marty Stuart show).

OJ Sikes

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March 7, 2010

I'm a Roy Rogers fan from way back.This is a great website! I enjoy going thru it. Keep up the good work. Just wondering... I just saw the 2010 version of the Sons of the Pioneers on the RFD-TV channel and was wondering if any of them are in contact with you or relatives of the earlier sons. Do you keep up with their work? thanks again for a ton of info to keep me readin!

Phillip Walton

waltonphillip@sbcglobal.net

We do keep abreast of the current Sons of the Pioneers' recordings but, no, we do not know any of them personally. We do, however, keep in touch with the families of the original Sons of the Pioneers.