Classic cowboy band Riders in the Sky doesn’t always perform outdoors, but when they do, they bring their own campfire.
That’s according to Ranger Doug, guitarist and lead singer for Riders in the Sky, which performs at the open-air Solvang Festival Theater on May 5. It’s just another stop on the trail the band has moseyed down for 40 years now, Doug explained.
“It’s perfect, I love shows like that,” he said. “It’s just a fantastic little amphitheater. I just love that place.”
The four-piece ensemble includes Ranger Doug on guitar and singing lead, fiddle player Woody Paul also singing lead, accordionist Joey, and bassist Too Slim.
All four musicians have shared a long burning passion for cowboy songs and Western styles of music making, Doug said. This includes songs from classic Western films and cowboy bands, he explained, which differs from typical country music.
“It partly comes from my childhood, because it was still a part of the fabric of American culture at that time. Cowboy songs were on TV and in the movies and cowboys were popular still,” he said. “A kid would like those songs because they weren’t about broken hearts and cheating spouses and things you couldn’t understand. They were about being outside, riding, and singing songs with your friends. That’s kind of hard to beat as a kid.”
Ranger Doug had a varied past in folk and country music. He actually played with bluegrass founder Bill Monroe as one of his Bluegrass Boys.
But it was after he saw The Sons of the Pioneers perform live in the 1970s that Doug realized cowboy songs sang to his heart truer than the fast-paced picking and high vocal lines of bluegrass music.
“I fell in love with it,” he said. “I fell in love with how complex it was musically, and as a writer of sorts, I fell in love with the really poetic lyrics.”
But like bluegrass artists, Riders in the Sky are dedicated to singing top-notch harmony with their songs. They achieve a lush effect with their four-part singing on songs like “Tumbling Tumble Weeds” and others.
“It depends on the song, but it can be tricky,” he said. “We spend a lot of time, still do, on our harmony.”
Ranger Doug also has another vocal technique on his cowboy belt: yodeling. It’s a technique that he’s spent years cultivating, and can demonstrate with great facility.
Riders in the Sky are also well known for their acerbic Western wit. Comedy is a big part of the show, especially between songs, he said. But there’s a showmanship that the group is known for, which includes their skillful musicianship, their playful banter, or fun props like the aforementioned campfire.
That dedication has provided decades of tours across states like Texas, North Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, and of course California.
“It’s just great to be back in California,” Ranger Doug said. “We love coming out here and singing Western music under the stars. What could be better?”
Managing Editor Joe Payne was honored to speak with a bona fide bluegrass boy. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 4-11, 2017.