The Sons of the Pioneers were the longest-surviving vocal music group in the country, existing into their seventh decade. They were also one of the most important groups in terms of longevity. Their work was sheer quality, with numerous inspired and brilliant arrangements, superb harmonies, and delighted listeners of three generations. However, more important than their achievement as pioneers was their longevity. Every group that has come since has set the standard, but The Sons of the Pioneers were the definitive group specializing in cowboy songs and the foremost group in instrumental and vocal western music.
The Rocky Mountaineers extended an invitation to Leonard Slye to become a part of their ensemble following his participation in an amateur singing competition on a Los Angeles radio program called Midnight Frolics. Leonard Slye, who was born in Cincinnati on November 5, 1911, had held different positions in California’s Central Valley after relocating from Ohio in 1931. The resilience of the American people and the hardships endured by millions of individuals during the Great Depression had almost shattered their spirits, and it was during this time that the group’s origins took root.
In a Safeway Stores warehouse, Tim Spencer (formerly known as Vernon Spencer, born on July 13, 1908, in Webb City, MO), who had been earning his keep, took the place of Nolan, who left due to frustration over the group’s lack of success. He and Slye developed a harmonious relationship that worked for several months, until Nolan joined the Rocky Mountaineers. Singing as a traveling singer for a few years, Nolan had experienced that lifestyle before settling down in Los Angeles, where he had worked as a lifeguard and tried to make a living. Bob Nolan (originally named Robert Clarence Nobles, born on April 1, 1908, in New Brunswick, Canada) from Tucson, AZ, was the person who responded to the advertisement and wanted to expand their vocal range by adding another singer. Soon, they desired another singer to further expand their range, and Slye contributed to the group by playing the guitar, singing, and yodeling.
Slye, Spencer, and another vocalist named Slumber Nichols decided to leave the Rocky Mountaineers in the spring of 1932 in order to create their own trio. However, their plans never fully materialized. Instead, Slye and Spencer spent a year transitioning between various short-lived groups such as the International Cowboys and the O-Bar-O Cowboys. The latter group disbanded after a disastrous tour, causing Spencer to temporarily step away from music. Slye, on the other hand, made the decision to continue pursuing a music career and joined Jack LeFevre and His Texas Outlaws, a well-known group that regularly performed on a local radio station in Los Angeles.
In the early 1933, Nolan and Spencer wrote songs and continued to work on their singing as a group while honing their skills through weeks of rehearsals. Slye followed their lead, singing on the radio hour after hour. Additionally, Nolan also recruited Spencer to work as a caddy at a golf course in Bel Air, once convinced that it would provide a steady job and more security.
They were soon featured on the evening and morning shows of the station, receiving a lot of mail and eliciting harmony with their singing. LeFevre’s show developed a large following of its own within a few weeks. With their good spirits and a mix of yodeling and singing, they won a job. Following an audition, their debut on radio KFWB included the song “There Out Way” by Nolan. The group was called The Pioneer Trio.
Hugh Farr, born on December 6, 1906 in Plano, TX, also joined the group as a bass voice and occasionally served as the lead singer. He arrived early in 1934 in the form of a fiddle player and was needed to firm up their sound as the fourth member. The group consisted of Slye on rhythm guitar and Nolan on bass strings, with vocals by Spencer, Nolan, and Slye in its earliest form.
It was logical, since they were no longer a trio, and it matched perfectly. The title appeared to become permanent, the group’s name was mistakenly changed on the night before their nationwide debut. The presenter justified that they were too young to be considered pioneers, but suggested that they could be the offspring of pioneers when questioned about his decision. During a single broadcast, the station’s announcer presented them as “The Sons of the Pioneers.”
The Sons of the Pioneers gained widespread recognition outside of Los Angeles due to their station’s informal syndication project, which involved recording the group in 15- and 30-minute segments for rebroadcast nationwide. On August 8, 1934 (coinciding with Bing Crosby’s label debut), the Sons of the Pioneers officially recorded their first commercial track after signing a recording agreement with the recently established Decca label (currently a division of MCA). Within the following two years, the group produced a total of 32 songs under Decca’s label.
The song “Tumbleweeds” was originally written on a rainy day in 1932, and it quickly gained popularity among country bands and singers all over the country. It was licensed for use as the title song for Gene Autry, a pioneer in the industry. Later, the song’s title was changed to “Leaves, Tumbling” to keep up with its theme. One of the songs cut during the first recording session was the original version called “Leaves, Tumbling” by Nolan.
The Grand Performance. That very same year, they made an appearance in an Autry film called Rhythm of the Range and the Crosby vehicle The Mysterious Avenger (1936). Following this, they starred in Song of the Saddle (1936), featuring Dick Foran, a singer-turned-cowboy star. Later that year, they also appeared in The Gallant Defender. Their first appearance in a feature-length film was in The Old Homestead, prior to making their debut in short films and providing the music for an Oswald the Rabbit cartoon. In the early part of that year, they began their venture into the world of movies. To enhance the Pioneers’ instrumental abilities to match their singing, Farr’s brother Karl (born Rochelle, TX, April 25, 1909), who had previously played with Hugh on the radio during the 1930s, was introduced as the fifth member, playing the lead guitar. This addition occurred in 1935.
The group, which began working steadily on Western films in Old Trail Wyoming with Charles Starrett’s Columbia, finally signed with Republic in late 1937. They continued to work in films, such as Old Corral with Autry’s and Warner Bros.’ Mail California Foran-starring, as well as making appearances in concerts and broadcasts. Their business affairs were handled by Perryman, who later became a key member of the group and served as their spokesperson on stage, primarily focusing on vocal arrangements. Perryman, a veteran of several singing groups and a fan of the Pioneers, replaced Lloyd by January 29, 1917, and Spencer left the group in September 1936.
The replacement picture they were looking for began in the studio while Autry was placed on suspension. The studio and Autry found themselves in a contractual dispute, unable to resolve it and the cowboy star failed to report for his next movie. In 1938, under the name Dick Weston, Autry appeared in a small role in a film, including a previous appearance in a handful of B-Westerns where he played bit parts. It was the movies that led to the next major change in the lineup of The Pioneers.
In 1941 and 1937, Roy Rogers continued to make movies, appearing in 28 of them. To fill out the harmony parts in the group, Spencer Starrett returned and the Pioneers expanded their lineup once again in 1938. Although he was vocally weaker than others in the group, Pat Brady, a friend of his and a singer, was chosen to replace Slye within the comedy group. However, he was forced to leave the Pioneers in order to do the movie. In a whole new career, Roy Rogers eventually became a hit and was given a new name in the process. He won a part and auditioned for Columbia Pictures’ exclusive contract under the name Roy Rogers, eventually becoming a star in Western films with the Sons of the Pioneers.
Due to their on-screen appearances, audiences became most familiar with the “classic” lineup of the Pioneers, which included Nolan, Spencer, Perryman, the Farrs, and Brady. This version of the group, which existed from 1938 to 1942, returned to sing with the Sons of the Pioneers during recording sessions. Rogers, despite officially leaving the group to focus on his film career, contributed to 32 songs on the Okeh and Vocalion imprints of that label during two sessions in late 1937. In 1936, he left Decca Records to sign with the American Record Company, which later became part of Columbia Records. The recording career of the Sons of the Pioneers progressed alongside their work in movies and radio.
In 1941, the group that signed a contract with Republic Pictures also signed a contract with Decca Records. They were billed as The Sons of the Pioneers and Bob Nolan, and they appeared in movies such as River Valley Red, which marked the beginning of their career in films. Additionally, that same year, they signed a contract with Columbia.
Fisher Shug transitioned from being a comic and musician to becoming a soldier in the Third Army under General Patton. He served in the American forces fighting in Burma, while Carson Ken was replaced by Perryman when both Brady and Perryman were called up for the draft. This change in their lineup was brought about by the American entry into World War II.
They would no longer be associated with any other label after their 24-year stint with RCA was broken by a brief one-year period elsewhere. They were later signed up by Steve Sholes, who was the head of the country music division of the company, and responsible for bringing Elvis Presley to the label. In 1944, they moved to RCA from the Sons of the Pioneers.
Evans Dale and Rogers, along with RCA, provided backup for other performers throughout their time as The Pioneers. They also recorded many novelty and pop-oriented songs, as well as gospel material. They recorded many renditions of their classic songs, which proved to be popular among fans in the mid-1940s. They re-recorded several of their standards, including “Tumbleweeds” and “Water Cool,” with new arrangements that were well-received. Initially, they worked reasonably well as The Pioneers, but they saw the need for additional backup in the form of fuller orchestration, which RCA helped provide. Previously, they had been a self-contained outfit, providing virtually all instrumental and vocal sounds on their records. The change in labels resulted in the first major alteration to the Pioneers’ sound since their founding.
During their time on the record label, they recorded several new western classics amidst all of this diverse activity, which produced numerous songs, most notably Stan Jones’ “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” in 1949. The Pioneers themselves covered it after it became a hit for Monroe, but Nolan had initially declined to perform the song. In 1948, the group stopped appearing in movies with the conclusion of Rogers’ B-Westerns at Republic, but two years later, they found a new career in movies thanks to John Ford, who incorporated their singing into three of his most acclaimed Westerns: Wagon Master (1950) – in which they had four songs, including “Wagons West” – Rio Grande (1950), and The Searchers (1956).
In 1948, Brady continued working in Western Rogers’ movies, and he also returned to the later lineup in 1946. Fisher, a songwriter, contributed more than just important songs; he also took on some lead vocals. Spencer made magnificent recordings during this era. Perryman, who later became a well-known singer in his own right, took over some lead vocals and served as an interim replacement for Carson in the 1946 lineup.
The Sons of the Pioneers had a significant impact on evolving public preferences and the passage of time, but unfortunately, their success was not long-lasting. Some of their notable country chart hits during this golden era included “Room Full of Roses” (1949), “My Best to You” and “Cool Water” (1948), “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “Cool Water” (1947), “Tear Drops in My Heart” (1947), “Baby Doll,” “Cool Water,” and “No One to Cry To” (1946), and “Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima” (1945).
He was replaced by Fisher during the war. Soon after Rogers started shooting his television series, Brady was recruited as his comic relief sidekick. As a parting gesture, Spencer gave his lead vocal on “Roses of Full Room,” which became Curtis’ first hit with the group. Later on television, Marshal Festus immortalized the grizzled backwoods deputy Dillon, who was replaced by Ken Curtis (born July 2, 1916 in Lamar, CO) with former singer Tommy Dorsey and sometime actor. After several years of worsening voice problems, Spencer finally left the group in 1949, having written many important originals for the group.
Even within the recording studio, he reunited with them and supplied them with songs following his retirement. Nolan had served as the main vocalist on numerous of their popular tracks, in addition to composing many of the Pioneers’ most well-known songs. However, the void he left behind was significant – he desired more personal time and more opportunities to compose songs. Despite being fulfilling both artistically and financially, spending 16 years with the Pioneers had started to take a toll on him. Initially, he was a very private person and ultimately, his departure was purely driven by personal reasons. Yet, it was Nolan’s retirement in 1949 that brought about the most significant change in the group’s lineup.
Part of their country audience abandoned them and simultaneously these efforts were unsuccessful. RCA’s attempts to penetrate the pop vocal market with The Pioneers were in vain. There was a decline in overall interest in Western music and cowboy songs. The decline in sales cannot be attributed to the fault of the record group. However, Doss, with his beautifully harmonizing voice and excellent singing talent, was a valuable addition to the group within a year of joining Curtis and Perryman. Born on September 26, 1920, in Weiser, Idaho, Doss was the sixth new member recruited by Tommy. He had previously taken on a leadership role in the group in the past few years. Perryman stepped into the breech opened by Nolan.
Fisher would showcase The Enormous Gila Monster (1958), one of which, at the conclusion of the 1950s, one of a duo of low-cost fright films, Curtis would later assume the role of co-producer on. They co-starred on one TV series, and Curtis and Fisher both departed the cast to pursue television and cinema projects simultaneously with the transition. By the end of the year, the band re-signed with Coral Records, but they did not record anything in 1953. The band also departed from RCA due to their declining sales figures, coincidentally, in 1952, the same year that the Pioneers received their initial LP releases, Cowboy Classics (composed of material from 1945 and 1946) and Cowboy Hymns and Spirituals (consisting of recordings from 1947), the 10″ records.
Nevertheless, the group’s one-year residency at Coral turned out to be just as unsuccessful as the previous few years at RCA. Dale Warren (born Summerville, KY, June 1, 1925), a seasoned performer of Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage, and Deuce Spriggens (born George R. Braunsdorf), a former musician from Spade Cooley’s ensemble, took their place.
Furthermore, the Pioneers, who initially started touring without any recorded music, eventually began making records. After the departure of Spriggens and Farrs, the group consisted of Warren, Doss, Perryman, and Farr, backed by the vocal trio of Curtis, Perryman, and Nolan. The Sons of the Pioneers and The Pioneers became two separate groups, with Brady joining as the bassist in the studio. Spencer, who was no longer in good health or voice, was asked to return to the studio, but he agreed to return only as part of the group’s sound. In addition, Nolan and Spencer, who had been with RCA for 14 years, decided to switch to a new strategy and return to RCA in 1955.
From 1967 until the group disbanded, Brady remained with them. Fisher, who retired in 1959, rejoined the group after Brady also returned to the lineup. In the same month, Roy Lanham, one of the busiest session guitarists on the West Coast, joined the group as Karl’s successor. However, in the middle of a concert in September 20, 1961, he suddenly collapsed and died of a heart failure. He had become agitated over a broken guitar string. Despite this, Karl continued as a member. Hugh Farr, who felt unappreciated by the other members for his fiddle playing, retired as a singer. It was clear that the lineup had undergone more changes over time.
In 1963, Doss came to a halt from performing with the band, even though he continued to collaborate with them until 1967, which marked the next significant alteration in the group’s composition. Luther Nallie became part of the ensemble as the lead vocalist and stayed with the Pioneers until 1974, joining in 1968. Throughout a span of 12 years, from 1957 to 1969, RCA published 21 albums by the band, proving that they were still highly active both on stage and in the recording studio.
Spencer and Nolan were both elected to the Songwriter Hall of Fame in Nashville in 1971. In 1972, a gathering at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles brought together most of the surviving members of the Pioneers of Sons, except for Curtis. The Pioneers of Sons were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.
Nolan passed away nearly two months later, on June 16, 1980, while Farr, who had retired from the band in 1958, died on April 17, 1980. Perryman, who had been a part of the group since 1936, passed away on May 31, 1977, and Spencer died on April 26, 1976. This marked the final farewell for the original and early members of the group.
The enduring heritage of this beloved western band served as a constant reminder, alongside younger country music groups such as the Riders in the Sky, of the trailblazing Pioneers. Rome Johnson (vocals), Billy Liebert (accordion), Billy Armstrong (fiddle), Doye O’Dell (guitar, vocals), and Rusty Richards (vocals) formed a prominent lineup that both recorded and performed live. They steered the group into the 1990s after Warren, who had joined in 1952, assumed leadership of the Sons of the Pioneers following Perryman’s passing.