HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Dale Evans & Roy Rogers

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

Similar to contemporaries, Gene Autry and Tex Ritter, Roy Rogers enjoyed a huge Hollywood career. Born Leonard Franklin Slye in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 5 November 1911, he would later change his name to Roy after "roi" ("king") in French and Rogers in honor of the Cherokee rope performer, Will Rogers. part of his youth was spent in Lucasville, Ohio, north of Portsmouth where Rogers' father was a farmer who worked in a shoe factory as well. Rogers learned to ride horses as a youth. As there was no radio, Saturday nights meant square dances with neighbors at which Rogers called, sang and played mandolin. He attended high school in McDermott, then Cincinnati where he dropped out to work with his father in another shoe factory. After a trial run to California in 1929 with his father, he returned in 1930, then with his father again in 1931, they to find employment driving gravel trucks. That same year found Rogers picking peaches in a Del Monte labor camp. His sister, Mary, whom he and his father had followed to California, suggested he audition at KMCS in Inglewood, thereat beginning his career in radio. This Roy is not to be confused with the Roy Rogers which DAHR has recording in New York City on 31 May 1928 with the Ben Selvin Orchestra, 'Just a Night for Meditation' issued on Columbia 1426-D. There is virtually nothing on the internet to be found concerning this obscure Roy Rogers whom I've not discovered on any other recording. Nor is our cowboy anywhere said to have recorded anything as early as 1928.

'Just a Night for Meditation' An unknown Roy Rogers not to be confused with Roy Rogers

31 May 1928 in NYC Matrix W146375 Columbia 1426-D

Backed by the Ben Selvin Orchestra

Music: Lew Pollack Lyrics: Joe Young / Sam M. Lewis

Rogers joined the Rocky Mountaineers in August of 1931. The Pioneer Trio was formed in 1933 with former brief Rocky Mountaineer members, Bob Nolan (upright bass) and Tim Spencer (vocals) with Rogers on guitar. When Hugh Farr (bass voice / fiddle) was added in early 1934 the Sons of the Pioneers were born. Russell's 'Country Music Records' (CMR) has them in Los Angeles on their initial tracks on August 8 of 1934 for 'Way Out There' / 'Ridin' Home' (Decca 5013) and 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds' / 'Moonlight on the Prairie' (Decca 5047) also released in 1934 [1, 2]. 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds' put the Sons of the Pioneers on the map, ranking as high on the charts as #13. This would be the group's highest-selling title overall.

'Tumbling Tumbleweeds' Sons of the Pioneers

8 Aug 1934 in Los Angeles Matrix 002 DLA 11 Decca 5047

Guitar: Roy Rogers Violin: Hugh Farr

Vocals: Bob Nolan / Tim Spencer / Roy Rogers

Composition: Bob Nolan

'Ridin' Home' Sons of the Pioneers

8 Aug 1934 in Los Angeles Matrix 004 DLA 13 Decca 5013

Guitar: Roy Rogers Violin: Hugh Farr

Vocals: Bob Nolan / Tim Spencer / Roy Rogers

Composition: Bob Nolan

Rogers appeared in his first films with the Pioneers in 1935: 'Slightly Static' and 'The Old Homestead'. Appearing in well above a hundred movies, Rogers would be awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Karl Farr joined the Pioneers in time for a session on October 9, 1935, to see such as 'Song of the Pioneers' / 'Echoes from the Hills' (Decca 5168). Rogers married Grace Wilkins the following year, they to adopt a daughter in 1941, another daughter born of Grace in 1943.

'Ride, Ranger, Ride' Sons of the Pioneers

18 June 1936 in Los Angeles Matrix 027 DLA 383 Decca 5243

Guitar: Roy Rogers / Karl Farr Violin: Hugh Farr

Vocals: Bob Nolan / Tom Spencer / Roy Rogers

Composition: Vern Spencer

Lloyd Perryman joined the Sons of the Pioneers on bass and vocals in time for titles on October 21 of 1937 [per CMR; Praguefrank's is typoed as "Perriman"] like 'My Saddle Pal and I' / 'I Love You, Nelly' (Conqueror 8941). Perryman would also contribute guitar.

'Open Range Ahead of Me' Sons of the Pioneers

26 Oct 1937 in Hollywood Matrix LA 1496-A Vocalion 03880

Guitar: Roy Rogers / Karl Farr Violin: Hugh Farr

Vocals: Bob Nolan / Roy Rogers as Leonard Slye / Lloyd Perryman

Composition: Bob Nolan

Rogers had been recording by his birth name (Leonard Slye) with the Pioneers. He began holding name sessions as Roy Rogers backed by members of the Pioneers on October 28, 1937, in Los Angeles, resulting in 'Cowboy Night Herd Song' (unissued), 'That Pioneer Mother of Mine' / 'When the Black Sheep Gets the Blues' (Melotone M8-04-51 '38) and 'Hadie Brown' (unissued) [1, 2]. Legal matters such as Rogers' career as an actor then required that the "Roy Rogers" and "Sons of the Pioneers" names become separate entities. However, when Rogers quit the Pioneers its members would continue to back his solo ventures. Rogers' own 'Hi-Yo Silver' ranked at #13 on the charts in 1938, three more to place in the Top Ten: 'A Little White Cross on the Hill' (#7 1946), 'My Chickashay Gal' (#4 1947) and 'Stampede' (#8 1950). The Sons of the Pioneers were a hot band quite apart from Rogers. While the latter was pursuing a film career the Sons of the Pioneers released 'Cool Water' at #25 in 1941 as well as their first of nine Top Ten selling titles from 'Stars & Stripes on Iwo Jima' in 1941 at #4 to 'Room Full of Roses' in 1949 at #10.

'She's All Wet Now' Roy Rogers

26 Oct 1937 in Hollywood Matrix 024 LA 1861-A Vocalion 05094 / Conqueror 9438

Band members unknown

Composition: Roy Rogers

'Git Along Little Dogies' Roy Rogers Film

From 'The Border Legion' Directed by Joseph Kane Released 5 Dec 1940

Edited for television as 'West of the Badlands'

Composition: Traditional first noted 1893 from an older Irish ballad

IMDB Wikipedia

'Cool Water' Sons of The Pioneers

24 March 1941 in Chicago Matrix 072 C 93632 Decca 5939

Guitar: Karl Farr Violin: Hugh Farr Bass: Pat Brady

Vocals: Bob Nolan / Tim Spencer / Lloyd Perriman

Composition: Bob Nolan

Rogers met Dale Evans (b Frances Octavia Smith 1912) in 1944 while filming 'Cowboy and the Senorita'. Roy Jr. ("Dusty") was born in 1946, Grace to die of complications on 3 November. IMDB has Roger's performing in the three-act comedy, 'Topaze', at the Morosco Theatre in New York City in December 1947, upon which Roy and Dale married on New Year's Eve of that year. Besides a daughter born of Dale they would adopt four more children.

'The Cowboy and the Senorita' Roy Rogers w Dale Evans Film

From 'The Cowboy and the Senorita' directed by Joseph Kane Released 13 May 1944

Music: Phil Ohman Lyrics: Ned Washington

'I'm a Happy Guy In My Levi Britches' Roy Rogers w the Sons of the Pioneers Film

From 'Lights of Old Santa Fe' directed by Frank McDonald Released 6 Nov 1944

Composition: Tim Spencer

Rogers did the calling on an album of square dances in 1949 with Spade Cooley titled 'Skip to My Lou' (RCA Victor WP 259), that a set of three 7" 45 RPMs. Four more albums were issued variously in 1949: 'Love of the West', 'Pecos Bill', 'Souvenir Album' and 'Round-Up'. Rogers was better known, though, for the hymns he recorded with Evans, such as Charles Austin Mile's 'In the Garden' in 1950, John Newton's 'Amazing Grace' in 1962 and Thomas Dorsey's 'Peace in the Valley' in 1962). Roy and Dale were one another's major partner in everything, including the 'Roy Rogers Show' which first aired in 1951, and which theme song, 'Happy Trails to You', had been authored by Dale in 1952. Another of Dale's compositions was 'The Bible Tells Me So' in 1955.

'The Golden Stallion' Roy Rogers w Dale Evans and Trigger Film

Directed by William Witney Released 15 Nov 1949

IMDB Wikipedia

'Stampede' Roy Rogers w the Sons of the Pioneers

1 Dec 1949 in Hollywood Matrix 21-0154

Victor 21-0154 (shellac) / RCA Victor 48-0161 (vinyl)

Guitar: J.W. Marshall Organ: K. Pandit Bass: I. Edelam

Vocals: Roy Rogers / Lloyd Perryman / Tommy Doss / Ken Curtis

Composition: Darol Rice / Foy Willing

'Happy Trails to You' Roy Rogers w Dale Evans Television

From 'The Roy Rogers Show' airing 1951 to 1957 on NBC

Composition: Dale Evans 1952

As the Sons of Pioneers continued onward without Rogers, they picked up Tommy Doss at guitar in 1950, he to stay to as late as 1967. Roy and Dale meanwhile purchased a California ranch of 168 acres in 1955, later expanding it to 300 acres. Bob Nolan's last session with the Sons of the Pioneers was on November 27 of 1957 for 'High Ridin' Woman' / 'God Has His Arms Around Me' (RCA 47-7079) and 'Enchanted Isle' issued on the album, 'Westward Ho!' (RCA Victor PRM 108), in 1961. Dale Warren took over lead vocals on October 7, 1958, in Manhattan for 'A Fiddle, a Faddle, an Axe and a Bible' / 'My Last Goodbye' (RCA Victor 47-7392). That was Hugh Farr's last session with the Pioneers, not to see another fiddler until B. Bruce in 1976 and Dale Morris in 1983. Farr died on April 17, 1980. Tom Spencer was the last original member of the Sons of the Pioneers to leave the band after a session on June 24, 1959, reaping such as 'Wagon Wheels' and 'Tumbling Tumbeweeds' to get released on 'Cool Water' (RCA Victor LPM / LSP-2118) in 1960. He died on April 26, 1976. Karl Farr held his last session with the Pioneers 20 April 1961 for titles like 'Song of the Pioneers' to see release on 'Tumbleweed Trail' in 1962 (RCA Victor LPM/LSP-2456). Rogers meanwhile issued his first LP with Evans, 'Peter Cottontail', in 1961 in collaboration with the Sandpipers and the Mitch Miller Orchestra. (Yes, Roy and Dale were as conservative as conservative comes.) They moved to their Double R Bar Ranch in Apple Valley, California, in the sixties.

'There's a Goldmine in the Sky' The Sons of the Pioneers

19 Nov 1952 in Hollywood Matrix E2-VB-7031 RCA Victor EPA 422

Guitar: Lloyd Perryman / Tommy Doss / Ken Curtis / Karl Farr

Violin: Hugh Farr Accordion: Frank Messina Bass: George Fisher

Vocals: Lloyd Perryman / Tommy Doss / Ken Curtis / George Fisher / Hugh Farr

Composition: Charles and Nick Kenny

'Peter Cottontail' Roy Rogers w Dale Evans

1961 See Golden Record LP-81

Medley by Roy Rogers w Dale Evans Television

'This Is My Country' / 'The Fightin' Side Of Me' / 'What Can I Do For My Country'

5 April 1970 'Ed Sullivan Show'

In 1972 Rogers reunited with Nolan, Spencer, et al, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Upon Perryman's death in 1976 Warren took over until his own passing in 2008. Roy and Dale began 1979 in January with the issue of their autobiography 'Happy Trails: Our Life Story' assisted by Jane and Michael Stern. Rogers issued 'The Sound of a Pioneer' in 1979 before Bob Nolan's death on June 16, 1980, in Newport Beach, California. Rogers was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 for his work with the Sons of the Pioneers, again in 1988 for his solo contributions. Tommy Nallie joined the Sons of the Pioneers in 1985.

'Happy Trails' by Roy Rogers w Dale Evans Television 1978 Venue unknown

Composition: Dale Evans 1952

In 1991 Roy, Dale and son, Dusty, issued 'Tribute'. Praguefrank's finds Rogers in a last session in Ventura, California, in 1995 for 'Cowboy's Prayer' and 'The Very Best Years of My Life', those getting released that year on 'Say Yes to Tomorrow' (Homeland 9514-2). Ken Lattimore signed up with the Sons of the Pioneers in 1998 [*], the year that Rogers died of heart failure in Apple Valley, California, on July 6, 1998 [obit]. Dale followed on February 7, 2001, in Apple Valley. Beyond music, Rogers had been a Freemason and a pilot, owning a Cessna Bobcat.