Biography of The Sons of the Pioneers

The Sons of the Pioneers are the definitive Western music group. In the '30s, they set the style and sound of Western music, from the look of the Hollywood cowboy to the sound of the three-part harmonies. Throughout the '40s, the band was the most popular act in country music and their reign lasted for over a decade, with their popularity only beginning to slip in the early '50s, when honky tonk and countrypolitain pop dominated the attention of the record-buying public. Nevertheless, the Sons of the Pioneers continued to exist in varying incarnations well into the '90s.The roots of the Sons of the Pioneers lie with Roy Rogers, who was originally known as Len Slye (he changed his name when he left the group to star in movies in 1937). Rogers was singing with the Rocky Mountaineers in California and recruited Bob Nolan (b. Robert Clarence Nobles, April 1, 1908, New Brunswick, Canada; d. June 16, 1980, Los Angeles, California) as a singing partner through a radio advertisement. After Nolan joined, so did one of his friends, a fiddler called Bill "Slumber" Nichols. However, Nolan didn't stay with the group long, because money was growing short; he was replaced by Tim Spencer (b. Verne Spencer, July 7, 1908, Webb City, Missouri; d. April 26, 1976, Apple Valley, California). Rogers, Nichols, and Spencer left the Rock Mountaineers shortly after the addition of Spencer, joining the International Cowboys. That too was short-lived, and the trio formed their own group, the O-Bar-O Cowboys.The O-Bar-O Cowboys toured around the Southwest without gaining much of a following. By the summer of 1933, Nichols left the band and became a golf caddie. Rogers left in the fall of the year, becoming part of the California-based Texas Outlaws, which was led by Jack Lefevre; the group had a regular show on the Hollywood radio station KFWB. At the same time, he began playing with Nolan and Spencer in separate sessions. Soon, the pair joined the Texas Outlaws. Nolan had been writing songs, as had Spencer and the radio station happened to hear their original material. The station was impressed and offered Nolan, Spencer, and Rogers their own spot and named group the Pioneer Trio.After they were given a regular spot, the trio decided to expand their lineup to include a fiddler called Hugh Farr (b. December 6, 1903, Llano Texas; d. March 17, 1980, Casper, Wyoming) and changed their name to the Pioneers. Before their first radio appearance in March of 1934, the station's announcer claimed on the air that since the group was too young to be pioneers, they should be called sons of the pioneers. The name stuck and the group became regulars at the radio station and in local concerts. The band made some recordings for the Standard Recording Company at the end of the year which were pressed on '78s and sent to radio stations across the country.At the end of 1934, Hugh Farr's brother Karl (b. April 25, 1909, Rochelle, Texas; d. September 20, 1961, Springfield, Massachusetts), who played guitar. After he joined the band, the group's sound was firmly in place. The Sons of the Pioneers had a swinging beat, jazz inflections, smooth harmonies, yodels, and pop-tinged song structures. They developed a stage act that featured stylized adaptations of Western staples like rope tricks. Soon, their sound and style made them a popular act across America. In early 1935, the group joined the roster of Decca Records, one of the first artists the new label signed. They also inked a deal with Columbia Pictures to appear in movies, beginning with The Old Homestead, which starred Charles Starrett; between 1935 and 1941 they were in 31 movies, all of which starred Starrett. Tim Spencer left the group in 1936, following a major argument after the Texas centennial; he was replaced by Lloyd Perryman (b. January 29, 1917, Ruth, Arkansas; d. May 31, 1977, Colorado Springs, Colorado). The following year, they signed a deal with Columbia Records, recording their first session in October of 1937. Within a few months, Roy Rogers left the group to pursue a solo career. Pat Brady replaced Rogers in the beginning of 1938. That year, they toured the country and made a series of recordings for NBC's Orthacoustic Transcription. series. For the next few years, the Sons of the Pioneers continued to tour, record, and make movies, becoming one of the most popular groups in America. In 1941, Spencer rejoined the band. Later that year, the band renewed their union with Roy Rogers, appearing in a series of films with him for Republic Pictures; Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers would make movies at Republic until 1948. After World War II arrived, Perryman and Brady joined the service; they were respectively replaced by Ken Carson and Deuce Spriggens, who was later replaced by George "Shug" Fisher. In 1945, when Brady returned from the war. That same year, they signed with RCA Victor, where they stayed for nearly 25 years. For the rest of the decade, the Sons of the Pioneers had a steady stream of hits for the label, beginning with the number four hit "Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima." Their initial records for RCA featured the work of many Nashville sidemen, including guitarists Chet Atkins, who would later produce the group's records. Tim Spencer left the group for a second and final time in 1949, due to vocal problems; he became the band's manager opened a music publishing. Spencer was replaced by Ken Curtis. That same year, Bob Nolan grew tired of performing and left the group; he was replaced by Tommy Doss. In the early '50s, the Sons of the Pioneers became increasingly pop-oriented. Not only did they accompany everyone from Perry Como and the Fontaine Sisters to opera singer Ezio Pinza, their records began to feature overt pop techniques in their production, including the presence of heavy strings. Although the group was still a popular concert attraction, their record sales were declining.In the '50s, the Sons of the Pioneers had passed the peak of their popularity. They would continue to perform and record, but their lineup was anything but steady for the next four decades. Ken Curtis left the group in 1952, becoming an actor; his best-known role would be Festus in the television show Gunsmoke. Dale Warren replaced him. In 1958, Hugh Farr left the group because he thought his contribution to the band's sound was unappreciated. In 1962, his brother Karl died unexpectedly. Karl was replaced in the group by Roy Lanham. Luther Nallie joined as the group's lead singer in 1968. Following his addition, the lineup was stable for nearly a decade as the group was led by Lloyd Perryman. Perryman died in 1977 and the leadership of the band was assumed by Dale Warren. In the '80s, their activity slowed somewhat, but the Sons of the Pioneer continued to perform. During the winter, they had a regular slot in Las Vegas and the summer, they played Branson, Missouri. In 1993, the Sons of the Pioneers attempted to record a comeback album, but the recording when Dale Warren and Johnny Western -- who was recording the album with the group -- both underwent heart surgery. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine