Ranger Doug recently answered some questions about Riders in the Sky.
Q: What does the band’s upcoming 45th anniversary mean to you?
A: I count my blessings every morning. It’s 40 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in June and 45 years as a band in November. It has really been an incredible career and it’s still rolling. We don’t presently have anything planned to celebrate 45 years but we may try to do something special for 50 if we get there.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Q: I know the group members worked on various projects during the time off the road. What did you do to occupy yourself?
A: Just a little of this and little of that. I wrote a book, worked at the YMCA as a census taker and wrote a bunch of songs even though we aren’t presently working on a new album. We have about 40 of them out there so there isn’t a pressing need for another one. I wish we were since I have new songs I’d like to get out there but nobody is that inclined to do one at the moment.
Q: What’s it like to write new songs knowing there isn’t an outlet for them?
A: Well, there is a certain sense of futility there, as you can imagine. Often, like when we were doing the stuff for Disney, we’d get assignments and that really propelled you to write. For now, it’s just being creative and staying creative. And, if they don’t get recorded or heard, then they don’t but I’m still creating.
Q: What’s the subject of your book?
A: A guy named Carson Robison. He’s not an artist that is well-known anymore but he was well-known in his day. He was the first professional country music songwriter, the first professional country music studio musician and first backup singer for recording. He had an amazing career. He wrote ‘Barnacle Bill the Sailor’ and 300 other tunes. Everybody else from that era, the 1920s, all have books written about them but for some reason nobody has ever detailed what he did. I thought it was just about time for one so I started in March of 2020, when everything shut down. I did a lot of research online and I went to Kansas and did a lot of research. I just sent in the manuscript last week so it has taken that long.
Q: Do you know when the book will be published?
A: It has been submitted to a couple of academic presses but there’s no contract. Even if it does get accepted soon, it’ll be a couple of years before it comes out. If this one doesn’t turn out, I have two more that have been suggested to me and have expressed a willingness to work at it so I have good hope.
Q: What was it like getting back out in front of audiences again after the pandemic restriction were lifted?
A: It was wonderful. You just can’t imagine how good it felt to play with people, for people, again. I got awfully tired of my playing but the audiences were great. They went crazy, which is just what you would suspect. Even though the crowds were sometimes small because some people were afraid to show up, the people that came were wildly enthusiastic. They were so happy to have live music again.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Q: What’s next for Riders in the Sky?
A: Well, we’re doing the Country Music Cruise in about two or three weeks. It’s not something we do a lot but it’s always fun. We did a South America cruise, a West Coast to Mexico cruise and two or three Caribbean cruises. It’s just so different. This is the big Country Cruise so it’s a lot of big names and a lot of middle names like us. People get to interact with us and all the stars all week. There are autograph sessions and several different performances, big and small. It’s a really fun time.
Q: What’s this summer looking like performance wise?
A: Comparatively it’s pretty light. I still play with the Time Jumpers every Monday. I’m going to teach a week at the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina, which I’ve been doing for years. There are scattered dates and we do the Opry often but at this point in our life and careers, that’s probably enough.
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or e-mail at donthrasher100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
Who: Riders in the Sky
Where: Sorg Opera House, 63 S. Main St., Middletown
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Reserved seating $35 in advance, $40 day of show. Premium seating is $40 in advance
More info: sorgoperahouse.org
Artist info: www.ridersinthesky.com
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