Riders in the Sky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the group. For the song, see (Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend.
- For the album by David and the Giants, see Riders in the Sky (album).
Riders In The Sky is a Western music and comedy group which began performing 1977. They have won two Grammy Awards and have done music for major motion pictures, including Toy Story 2's "Woody's Roundup" and Pixar's short film, "For the Birds". For most of this time, the group was a trio, Ranger Doug (Douglas B. Green), Woody Paul (Paul Woodrow Chrisman), and Too Slim (Fred LaBour). In recent years, the group has added Joey Miskulin on accordion. They bill themselves as Ranger Doug ("The Idol of American Youth"), Woody Paul ("King of the Cowboy Fiddlers"), Too Slim ("a Righteous Tater"/"The Man of a Thousand Hats"), and Joey ("the Cowpolka King").
The group is one of the hardest working musical acts in showbiz, and one of the most educated (Douglas "Ranger Doug" Green has a Masters degree in literature, Fred "Too Slim" Labour has a Masters degree in Wildlife Management, and Paul "Woody Paul" Chisman has a Ph.D. in theoretical plasma physics from MIT). In their first 25 years, they have performed in over 5200 live performances, almost 300 national television appearances, over 200 public radio shows, 700 Grand Ole Opry appearances, three television series (including a 1991-92 CBS Saturday morning show), an appearance on a "Duck Dodgers" cartoon on the Cartoon Network and more than 30 albums. The group has also written and appeared in numerous Christmas specials on CMT/TNN in the 1990's. They are based and managed from Nashville, Tennessee.
Riders in the Sky perform authentic renditions of old classic cowboy and Western songs, as well as original works and various comedic skits and songs. Their combination of gentle parody and true respect for the genre, as well as their great skill as musicians and clever wit is a major reason for their popularity and endurance.
Riders In The Sky performed with America's Got Talent finalist Taylor Ware at the Grand Ole Opry when she was nine years old.
[edit] Awards
Western Music Group of the Year 2006
Riders In The Sky were named Western Music Group of the Year during the Academy of Western Artists 2006 Will Rogers Awards.
The Academy of Western Artists is a nonprofit organization formed to recognize and honor outstanding individuals who, through their accomplishments, preserve and perpetuate the traditions, values and heritage of the American Cowboy. This year’s Awards Show was held on September 26 at the Eisemann Theater in Richardson, Texas, in conjunction with the 1st annual Classic Country Broadcasters Convention.
- This CD was featured on The New York Times' Best Ten List for 1982.
- Best Independent Country Album of the Year
- Best Independent Children's Album of the Year
Always Drink Upstream from the Herd
- 1995 Cowboy Hall of Fame Wrangler Award for Outstanding Western Recording!
Woody's Roundup: A Rootin' Tootin' Collection of Woody's Favorite Songs
- 2001 Grammy Award Winner: "Best Musical Album For Children"
Monsters, Inc. Scream Factory Favorites
- 2003 Grammy Award Winner: "Best Musical Album For Children"
