In Concert: Riders in the Sky | Eastern North Carolina Now

Too Slim singing about life from "behind the herd;" Too Jaws keeping him company: Above. Joey the Cowpolka King and Woody Paul keep the tempo moving along, while Ranger Doug and Too Slim keep the rhythm of group well paced: Below.     photos by Stan Deatherage


    It was about 45 years ago when I would venture down to the old Turnage Theater to watch the Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy double feature, where I would lose myself for a few hours in a fantasy world, where the good guys wore white and the really smart cowboys never drank downstream of the herd. Too Slim would concur with that.

    I have to wonder, as I remember the many times I have enjoyed Riders in the Sky, in concerts on two other occasions or on television playing before a live crowd, who will replace them when they are no longer "Bringing Good Beef to Hungry People?" And Who will carry on in their tradition of bringing it to the people: Not the easy way, because that wouldn't be right, but "The Cowboy Way."

    This night in December, in Washington, North Carolina, with a near packed house at the Turnage Theater, Ranger Doug packed away his trademark yodeling, and the cowboy band picked up their holiday spirit and presented the crowd with Christmas carols - "The Cowboy Way." I envisioned these well dressed, colorful dudes on the Cattle Trail, around the camp fire, keeping the cows quieted down and we just happened upon this quartet as they began their Christmas serenade to have entertain each other, and offer up praise.

    Their harmonies were pitch perfect, with the tenors, Woody Paul and Too Slim, buffeting the baritone, Ranger Doug. Joey the Cowpolka King, who made this trio a quartet 22 years ago, has as much range as any of the original Riders in the Sky, and well holds up his end of the melodic bargain; singing low and high whenever needed, while playing lead on many of their tunes with his big polka squeezebox.
The Riders in the Sky will do about what ever it takes to create a rythmic tone with Too Slim "playing the face:" Above. Woody Paul countering by playing his version of the face: Below.     photos by Stan Deatherage

    And playing well the base was not the only objective for Too Slim, but playing the face as well, which he did with an some help from Woody Paul, who played his face to beat the band. Cheek slapping, nose thumping, skull knocking aside: Pretty soon these two yodeling yokels were making some very unconventional music. It is hard to say after witnessing the two, who won the face off, but I may be leaning toward giving that nod to Too Slim. I feel a little sorry for the fella’ … considering how much time he spends at the rear of the herd, and all.

    Getty-up lil' partners.

    This article provided courtesy of our sister site: Better Angels Now.