December 1990 – Entertainment Magazine. Page 5

Sons of the Pioneers, the legendary group, founded by Roy Rogers along with former Tucsonan, Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer as the Pioneer Trio in 1933, is well into its fifty-seventh year (as of 1990) entertaining millions with a great musical tradition.

The Sons of Pioneers has included such past notable members as Hugh and Karl Farr, Pat Brady, Lloyd Perryman, Ken Curtis, Shug Fisher, Tommy Doss, Roy Lanham and present trail boss Dale Warren.

This world famous group, whose popularity is greater today than ever has been making Tucson its winter headquarters since their 50^th anniversary year in 1983 appearing at the Triple C Chuckwagon, serving up western-style entertainment five nights a week, Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Trail boss, Dale Warren, now in his 39^th year with the Sons of the Pioneers and possessing a superb singing voice, began his musical career in his borne state of Kentucky as a young boy standing on a box to play the bass fiddle and sing into the microphone with his parents famous group, Uncle Henry's Original Kentucky Mountaineers.

In 1953, he was recommended as a replacement for Ken Curtis (Festus of "Gunsmoke" TV series) who himself had replaced original Pioneer member Tim Spencer.

Warren, well aware of both past and present feelings among Western music fans wherever the Pioneers perform, has managed to preserve the traditional classic western musical style of the group while adding new instruments with a touch of big band sound designed to please fans of all age groups.

As part of their stage performance the Pioneers also include salutes to the silver screen cowboys and their sidekicks and especially, to the godfather of the group, Roy Rogers and former Pioneers who have been a part of the group across the years by means of a multi-media slide show. Known as "The Aristocrats of the Range," Sons of the Pioneers are on the Advisory Board of the Western Music Association.

Members of both the Country and Western Music Hall of Fame and have been acclaimed as an American Institution by the Smithsonian Institution. Their class recording of "Cool Water" is in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The Sons of the Pioneers have preserved the western musical heritage from their summer home in Branson, Missouri and their winter home in Tucson through their relentless efforts while creating innovations in western swing music that brings thousands to their feet.

The Sons of the Pioneers photo, Entertainment Magazine archives.