# Favorite Singing Cowboys **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036 "2015-09-30T14:19:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/1 "2015-09-30T14:19:43Z")
The phenomenon of the singing cowboy has largely ended. There are a few left, but they don’t seem to be nearly as famous as their predecessors. I couldn’t name any current individuals and only two groups, without looking it up–and one group is a local one, which is the only reason why I know about it. It might be worthwhile to have 2 categories: individual singers, and groups. Individuals: Roy Rogers Dale Evans Gene Autry Groups: Sons of the Pioneers ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/2 "2015-09-30T14:21:43Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > The phenomenon of the singing cowboy has largely ended. There are a few left, but they don’t seem to be nearly as famous as their predecessors. I couldn’t name any current individuals and only two groups, without looking it up–and one group is a local one, which is the only reason why I know about it. > > It might be worthwhile to have 2 categories: individual singers, and groups. > > Individuals: > Roy Rogers > Dale Evans > Gene Autry > > Groups: > Sons of the Pioneers That isn’t all of 'em? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/3 "2015-09-30T14:22:55Z")
[John Wayne](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk0ksMjC6xs), just because he was so bad at it. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/4 "2015-09-30T14:57:59Z")
[Riders in the Sky](http://www.ridersinthesky.com/) put on a fun concert, if you ever get the chance to attend. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/5 "2015-09-30T15:01:07Z")
[Pick Temple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick_Temple) Probably unknown to anyone who didn’t grow up in the DC area in the 50s and early 60s. He was on an episode of the Rifleman though. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/6 "2015-09-30T15:10:30Z")
I’ll add [At The Rainbow’s End](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ2cvOLSj8U) as an example from [Rex Allen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Allen) ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/7 "2015-09-30T15:16:49Z")
See, we don’t need polls to figure out how old the board skews. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/8 "2015-09-30T15:33:13Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > See, we don’t need polls to figure out how old the board skews. > > 😉 Or maybe this board is populated by people who like the classics. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/9 "2015-09-30T15:38:00Z")
These days, the genre is typically referred to as “[Western music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_music_(North_America))”. You will find a long list of Western music artists at that link… one good example I’m familiar with is the Sons of the San Joaquin. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/10 "2015-09-30T16:17:25Z")
My favorite was Slim Whitman. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/11 "2015-09-30T16:19:05Z")
People still occasionally use the phrase “Country and Western,” but the “Western” part of country music has been pretty much dead for 50 years. In my mind, the last successful “singing cowboys” were Marty Robbins and Ian Tyson. Tyson is about the only singing cowboy still alive. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/12 "2015-09-30T17:58:42Z")
Lets not forget Vicente Fernandez. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/z8sDreszGT4/maxresdefault.jpg "Vicente Fernández - Cuando Manda el Corazón") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8sDreszGT4) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/13 "2015-09-30T18:18:06Z")
[The Flying W Wranglers](http://www.flyingwwranglers.com/) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/14 "2015-09-30T18:21:48Z")
Solo: **Roy Rogers** Duo: and **Dale Evans** Group: **Sons Of The Pioneers** (early lineup including RR and Pat Brady or **Riders In The Sky** ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/15 "2015-09-30T18:22:31Z")
Don’t like any of them. I can’t even stand the backup singers on “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.” I heard Clint Eastwood sing on “Rawhide” a couple of times. He wasn’t bad. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/16 "2015-09-30T19:21:50Z")
Would Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys qualify? ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/17 "2015-09-30T19:58:22Z")
I love [Tex Ritter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tex_Ritter). Not only was he a wonderful singing cowboy, but he sired John Ritter, one of my favorite actors. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/18 "2015-09-30T20:18:20Z")
We tend to forget that other countries have had ranches, cattle, and even singing cowboys. Anyone outside Australia remember Slim Dusty? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8E0aZ387M_I/hqdefault.jpg "Pub With No Beer - Slim Dusty") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E0aZ387M_I) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/19 "2015-09-30T20:21:47Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > I love [Tex Ritter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tex_Ritter). Not only was he a wonderful singing cowboy, but he sired John Ritter, one of my favorite actors. That was after he was put out to stud. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036/20 "2015-09-30T23:45:08Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > I love [Tex Ritter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tex_Ritter). Not only was he a wonderful singing cowboy, but he sired John Ritter, one of my favorite actors. Yep. He was just as good as Roy and Gene. Autry was my favorite. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-singing-cowboys/733036.md?page=2)