Essays, Reflections, and Recollections

‘Blue Prairie’ and Tommy Doss (Larry Hopper)
— How a quick recording of the song led to Doss’s tenure with the Sons of the Pioneers

Tumbling Tumbleweeds: Evolution of a Western Standard (Larry Hopper)
— How a song of loneliness grew into an icon of the American West

The Sad History of Tumbling Tumbleweeds (Laurence Zwisohn)
— How the music publishing industry cheated Bob Nolan out of fair compensation for writing this classic of western music

Story of a Demo: The Sons and Daughters of the Pioneers (Larry Hopper)
— How a rare gem of western music was created and preserved

Recollections of the Pioneers (Laurence Zwisohn)
— Personal anecdotes about some of the group’s members, their sound, and other topics

How do you make a Western Songwriter? (Douglas B. “Ranger Doug” Green)
— Reflections on western music, the Sons of the Pioneers, and Riders in the Sky

Bob Nolan’s poetry and songwriting (Wayne Austin Shrope)
— Observations on Nolan’s writing, and audio recordings of some of Nolan’s unrecorded songs as poetry

A letter from Doc Denning (Max H. “Doc” Denning)
— The former Sons of the Pioneers fiddle player’s reflections on Bob Nolan

Various reflections on Bob Nolan (Ken Griffis)
— A collection of anecdotes and observations from the original biographer of the Sons of the Pioneers