“(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend”

Stanley “Slick” Davis Jones was born in Douglas, Arizona in 1914.  In life he wound up as an American songwriter and singer-actor best known for writing the Western classic “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend”.

Stan was educated as a zoologist at U Calif.,  he competed in rodeos,  he served in the U.S. Navy,  and held a variety of jobs—including copper miner, logger, snowplow driver, firefighter, and National Park Service ranger in places such as Mount Rainier and, notably, Death Valley where Jones wrote this song.

Jones first recorded it with his Death Valley Rangers on Mercury which was released 1949. It was quickly covered by many artists. Vaughn Monroe’s version became a massive then No. 1 hit of the year. Other versions charted at the same time, including Peggy Lee’s (No. 2),  Burl Ives’s (No. 21),   Bing Crosby (No. 14),  along with Gene Autry and others. Then came Frankie Laine’s hit a couple years later. 

The song’s success for Jones opened doors in Hollywood as a location scout and also serving as a technical advisor.  He befriended director John Ford and went on to write Western songs for Ford including material associated for The Searchers and Rio Grande. He also wrote the theme for the TV series Cheyenne.

He passed away at the young age of 49 and posthumously inducted into the Western Music Hall of Fame.

Jumping ahead to the video years,  the outstanding videos of note.

1) Glen Campbell & Roy Clark (Instrumental from a TV special)

2) The Highwaymen (Willie, Johnny, Waylon, & Kris )

3) Dark Americana Rendition (an AI -Vietnam Flashback)

4) Bros. Cézar & Leandro (Brazilian Country Music - Fantastic Instrumental)

5) Ecuadorian Bros Oscar & Pablo Morales Vega give it an Andean Cowboy Flavor

6) The Blue Brothers - Movie Clip, Need I say More.