News Archive Article
Continue to main content
Riders in the Sky Coming to River Campus
01/09/2017
Grammy award-winning classic cowboy quartet Riders in the Sky will perform 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast’s River Campus. Continuing the Bank of Missouri Touring Series, Riders in the Sky will bring their wacky comedy and musical talent for an evening of sheer entertainment. “This is sheer cowboy music,” said Bob Cerchio, assistant director of Southeast’s Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts. “It’s nice to present the best of the best.” For more than 30 years, Riders In The Sky have been keepers of the flame passed on by the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, reviving and revitalizing the genre. And while remaining true to the integrity of Western music, they have themselves become modern-day icons by branding the genre with their own legendary wacky humor and way-out Western wit, and all along encouraging buckaroos and buckarettes to live life 'The Cowboy Way!' Riders In The Sky's first official public performance was Nov. 11, 1977, and the trail has led them to heights they could have never predicted. Riders have chalked up over 6100 concert appearances in all 50 states and 10 countries, appearing in venues everywhere from the Nashville National Guard Armory to Carnegie Hall, and from county fairs to the Hollywood Bowl. They have been guests on countless TV specials, documentaries and variety shows, appearing with everyone from Barney to Penn & Teller. And their animated likenesses have shared the screen with Daffy Duck on the Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel's Stanley. In addition to penning award winning songs for their own albums, they wrote the score for Pixar Animation's 2002 Academy Award-winning short 'For the Birds.' They composed the theme song for the internet cartoon show 'Thomas Timberwolf' by renowned Bugs Bunny creator Chuck Jones. But the animated character that history will most certainly link to Riders In The Sky is the loveable cowboy Woody, as Riders performed 'Woody's Round Up' in 'Toy Story 2,' with the album of the same name garnering Riders their first Grammy Award in 2001 for 'Best Musical Album for Children.' Two years later, Riders roped their second Grammy in the same category, for 'Monsters Inc. - Scream Factory Favorites,' the companion CD to Pixar's award winning movie. Equally as exceptional, but of greater significance, is that in 1982, Riders In The Sky became the first, and to date only, exclusively Western music artist to join the Grand Ole Opry, the longest running radio show in history, and thus began a love affair with radio as well. In 1988, they recorded comedy skits for the album 'Riders Radio Theatre' and launched the long-running international weekly radio show of the same name on public radio. And keeping pace with the ever-changing technological landscape, in 2006 'Ranger Doug's Classic Cowboy Corral' debuted on XM Satellite Radio, still heard weekly on SiriusXM Channel 56. In addition to being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, Riders are in the Western Music Association's Hall of Fame, the Country Music Foundation's Walkway of Stars, and the Walk of Western Stars (in Newhall, CA near Melody Ranch Studios) along with Gene, Roy, John Wayne and other cowboy legends. No less important than their two Grammies, Riders have been the Western Music Associaton's 'Entertainers Of the Year' seven times, and won 'Traditional Group of the Year' and 'Traditional Album of the Year' multiple times. The Academy of Western Artists has named them 'Western Music Group of the Year' twice in five years, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has bestowed Riders with their Wrangler Award statuette three times. It comes as no surprise then that Billboard magazine's Jim Bessman counts them as one of 'the most historically significant acts in the history of American music.' Tickets Tickets may be purchased by contacting the River Campus Box Office, located in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., by calling (573) 651-2265, or online at RiverCampus.org/riders-in-the-sky.
01/09/2017
Grammy award-winning classic cowboy quartet Riders in the Sky will perform 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast’s River Campus. Continuing the Bank of Missouri Touring Series, Riders in the Sky will bring their wacky comedy and musical talent for an evening of sheer entertainment. “This is sheer cowboy music,” said Bob Cerchio, assistant director of Southeast’s Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts. “It’s nice to present the best of the best.” For more than 30 years, Riders In The Sky have been keepers of the flame passed on by the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, reviving and revitalizing the genre. And while remaining true to the integrity of Western music, they have themselves become modern-day icons by branding the genre with their own legendary wacky humor and way-out Western wit, and all along encouraging buckaroos and buckarettes to live life 'The Cowboy Way!' Riders In The Sky's first official public performance was Nov. 11, 1977, and the trail has led them to heights they could have never predicted. Riders have chalked up over 6100 concert appearances in all 50 states and 10 countries, appearing in venues everywhere from the Nashville National Guard Armory to Carnegie Hall, and from county fairs to the Hollywood Bowl. They have been guests on countless TV specials, documentaries and variety shows, appearing with everyone from Barney to Penn & Teller. And their animated likenesses have shared the screen with Daffy Duck on the Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel's Stanley. In addition to penning award winning songs for their own albums, they wrote the score for Pixar Animation's 2002 Academy Award-winning short 'For the Birds.' They composed the theme song for the internet cartoon show 'Thomas Timberwolf' by renowned Bugs Bunny creator Chuck Jones. But the animated character that history will most certainly link to Riders In The Sky is the loveable cowboy Woody, as Riders performed 'Woody's Round Up' in 'Toy Story 2,' with the album of the same name garnering Riders their first Grammy Award in 2001 for 'Best Musical Album for Children.' Two years later, Riders roped their second Grammy in the same category, for 'Monsters Inc. - Scream Factory Favorites,' the companion CD to Pixar's award winning movie. Equally as exceptional, but of greater significance, is that in 1982, Riders In The Sky became the first, and to date only, exclusively Western music artist to join the Grand Ole Opry, the longest running radio show in history, and thus began a love affair with radio as well. In 1988, they recorded comedy skits for the album 'Riders Radio Theatre' and launched the long-running international weekly radio show of the same name on public radio. And keeping pace with the ever-changing technological landscape, in 2006 'Ranger Doug's Classic Cowboy Corral' debuted on XM Satellite Radio, still heard weekly on SiriusXM Channel 56. In addition to being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, Riders are in the Western Music Association's Hall of Fame, the Country Music Foundation's Walkway of Stars, and the Walk of Western Stars (in Newhall, CA near Melody Ranch Studios) along with Gene, Roy, John Wayne and other cowboy legends. No less important than their two Grammies, Riders have been the Western Music Associaton's 'Entertainers Of the Year' seven times, and won 'Traditional Group of the Year' and 'Traditional Album of the Year' multiple times. The Academy of Western Artists has named them 'Western Music Group of the Year' twice in five years, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has bestowed Riders with their Wrangler Award statuette three times. It comes as no surprise then that Billboard magazine's Jim Bessman counts them as one of 'the most historically significant acts in the history of American music.' Tickets Tickets may be purchased by contacting the River Campus Box Office, located in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., by calling (573) 651-2265, or online at RiverCampus.org/riders-in-the-sky.
