Grand Ole Opry Member Spotlight: Riders in the Sky

Grand Ole Opry Country Music Show - Nashville

Dierks Bentley - The Opry's Youngest Member

The hilarious four-some of Riders in the Sky has for more than 20 years filled the comedy void at the Grand Ole Opry gone over from its days at the Ryman Audience for many years. In addition to keeping the Opry audiences laughing, the boys of Riders in the Sky have the very serious job of keeping true cowboy music alive in the spirit of the Old West.

Background and Early Career

• The Grammy Award-winning group dates back to 1977, when they joined forced at a Nashville club after recognizing a mutual affection for traditional Western music. The group — which consists of "Ranger Doug" Green, "Woody Paul" Chrisman, "Too Slim" Fred LaBour, and Joey "The Cowpolka King" — makes use of more traditional instruments, including an accordion, upright bass, fiddle, and acoustic guitar.
• The group received a Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children with their companion album to Toy Story 2, and nabbed a second Grammy for their work on Walt Disney Records' Monsters Inc: Scream Factory Favorites. The group has performed more than 700 times on the Grand Ole Opry, recorded more than 30 albums, and made more than 5,200 live performances.

Grand Ole Opry Induction

• Riders in the Sky was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on June 19, 1982, and have been staples of the show ever since.

Riders in the Sky at the Opry

• Riders in the Sky are frequent visitors to the Grand Ole Opry stage, bringing plenty of laughter and old-fashioned Western music to the audience. To find out when Riders in the Sky will be at the Opry next, please visit the VME Grand Ole Opry Blog.

Notable Numbers

• "Tumbling Tumbleweeds"
• "Back in the Saddle Again"
• "The Wayward Wind"
• "A Cowboy Has to Sing"
• "This Ain't the Same Old Range"
• "Red River Valley"

More Information

• Several members of Riders in the Sky hold advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics (Woody Paul); an M.A. in Literature (Ranger Doug), and a M.S. in Wildlife Management (Too Slim).
• See the complete list of current Grand Ole Opry members!