The Cowboy Way
Riders in the Sky Return to Tweetsie this Weekend

By Jeff Eason

Every American kid who ever put on a pair of dungarees has had the dream: Riding the range atop a trusty steed, running some bad guys out of the local saloon, and singing a western song by the campfire under a canopy of a gazillion stars. The dream, it seems, has touched us all, even the city kids who wouldn’t know a longhorn steer if one bit him on the ear.

The singing group Riders in the Sky has spent the better part of the last three decades bringing that dream to life. They perform all the classic old western songs, tell jokes that are even older than the songs, and teach kids how to live “the cowboy way.”

Riders in the Sky will appear at Tweetsie Railroad in Boone on Saturday and Sunday, August 18th and 19th, for two shows daily at noon and 3 p.m. They will perform at the Hacienda (the tented stage area near the amusement park and carnival rides). Seating is on a first-come, first serve basis and there will be plenty of great photo opportunities for parents.

The band features Ranger Doug (Idol of American Youth), Woody Paul (King of the Cowboy Fiddlers), Too Slim and Joey “the CowPolka King.” Formed in 1977, Riders in the Sky has performed more than 5,000 times, toured over a million miles, and made over 300 national TV appearances. They have also hosted three television series, a popular radio show called Riders Radio Theatre, and produced 31 albums of great cowboy music. They have even recorded an album of Tweetsie Railroad-themed music, Ridin’ the Tweetsie Railroad, which was released in 2002.

Riders in the Sky received its first Grammy Award in 2001 in the Best Musical Album for Children category for Woody’s Roundup featuring Riders in the Sky, a collection of songs produced in conjunction with the animated film Toy Story 2. They won an additional Grammy in the same category two years later for Walt Disney Records’ Monsters Inc.—Scream Factory Favorites.

The band has performed in several major motion pictures including the Patsy Cline biopic Sweet Dreams, starring Jessica Lange, and the Kenny Rogers film Wild Horses. Over the years the band has served as the spokesmen for the National Park Service, Opryland, and a variety of consumer products including Levis, Taco Bell, Coke and Cheer.

The history of the band was the subject of Don Cusic’s book It’s the Cowboy Way!: The Amazing True Adventures of Riders in the Sky, published in 2003 by the University of Kentucky Press.

Riders in the Sky’s most recent project is the release of the album Public Cowboy #1: A Centennial Salute to the Music of Gene Autry. Marking the 100-year anniversary of Autry’s birth, the album features 16 of his best loved cowboy tunes such as “Back in the Saddle Again,” “Mexicali Rose,” “South of the Border,” “Blue Canadian Rockies” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.”

The band got its start as a regular act at Herr Harry’s Phranks ‘N’ Steins, a small pub in Nashville and soon became a crowd favorite. Taking tunes from old westerns and obscure country artists, the band attracted fans with its excellent musicianship, tight three-part vocal harmonies, and quick wit.

Riders in the Sky will release its 32nd album, Silver Jubilee, later this year. The album will be a two-CD set of new recordings of their best-loved songs plus a bonus live mini-concert DVD.

“After trying your hand as a singing cowboy with Riders in the Sky, experience all the other activities offered at Tweetsie Railroad including the Wild West Train Adventure, amusement rides, Deer Park Zoo, Miner’s Mountain and live entertainment for all ages including the famed Diamond Lil’s Can-Can Revue in the Tweetsie Palace,” said a spokesperson for the theme park.

Riders in the Sky’s Tweetsie Railroad appearances are included with regular park admission. Reservations are not required for the shows. For more information, contact Tweetsie Railroad at (828) 264-9061, or visit the theme park’s website at www.tweetsie.com.