B: April 13, 1908 in Winnipeg, Manitoba
D: June 16, 1980 in Newport Beach, California
For most of his very early films, Bob Nolan, who was born as Robert Clarence Nobles, wasn’t individually credited because he showed up as one of the members of the Sons of the Pioneers, a musical group started in 1931 as The Rocky Mountaineers. Leonard Slye, who would go on to become Roy Rogers, and Bob Nolan were the two original members. There were a number of changes in those first few years but by early 1934 the group consisted of Leonard Slye, Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer on vocals, with Nolan playing string bass and Slye playing rhythm guitar. In 1971, Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer were both elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1972, most of the surviving members of the Sons of the Pioneers, including the original Pioneer Trio of Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer, gathered at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles for one last performance. In 1976, the Sons of the Pioneers were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Just some of the Country & Western standards penned by Nolan include Tumbling Tumbleweeds, which became the signature tune for the group, Way Out There, There’s a Roundup in the Sky, One More Ride, and Cool Water.
MORE STORIES
|
