It's the Cowboy Way! : The Amazing True Adventures of Riders in the Sky

Something happened when Ranger Doug, Too Slim, Woody Paul, and later Joey "The Cowpolka King" took the stage in the white cowboy hats and dazzling western regalia. Riders In The Sky revived the old Western songs that had been so popular in their childhood by following in the bootsteps of songwriting legends such as Gene Autry and Bob Nolan of The Sons of the Pioneers. At a time when the "outlaw" movement saw artists such as Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson topping country charts with gritty songs about drinking and depression, Riders In The Sky hit just the right chord with maturing baby boomers.
It's the Cowboy Way! is the story of the Riders' journey from obscurity to - well - less obscurity. It's a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a group of serious musicians with not-so-serious outlooks on life, four men who set out not just to revive a lost musical tradition but to nurture America's love of good-hearted, heroic cowboys.

Don Cusic is a professor of music business at Belmont University.