Plenty of people came dressed in their best Western getups – giddyups, if you will – for the annual Sons of the Pioneers concert at the Union County Fine Arts Center on Sept. 21.
Benefiting local Scouting America Troop 101 of the Northeast Georgia Mountain District, the concert has become an annual tradition and an opportunity to do good while enjoying the unique sound of one of America’s oldest musical groups.
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Troop 101 followed in the footsteps of Ferst Readers, who were the recipients of the fundraising concert in past years. To give attendees an idea of where their money was going, scouts of all ages served as greeters, handing out informational brochures and showing folks to their seats.
Along with the change in beneficiaries, the concert was unique in that it was one of the final performances of Roy “Dusty” Rogers Jr. – the son of famed Western musician and motion picture star Roy Rogers.
Following the passing of former Sons of the Pioneers Trail Boss Tommy Nallie in August, the group was down a member, so Rogers agreed to come out of retirement to return to the stage.
Nallie was honored in an emotional tribute performance of “The Cowboy’s Dream,” which was likened to a “cowboy spiritual” by the rest of the Sons. Sitting on the left of the stage was a display that included Nallie’s guitar, hat, boots and photo.
“All of us on this stage owe it to the great Tommy Nallie, who had been with us since 1983 and kept this thing going, carried the torch. And all of us can honestly say, hands-down, (he was) one of the finest teachers that we have had the great pleasure of working with,” admitted new Trail Boss John Fullerton, urging the audience to give a round of applause in Nallie’s honor. “He’s going to be missed; I miss him every day.”
That said, Nallie wasn’t the only departed soul remembered that evening. Rogers dedicated the Sons’ rendition of gospel favorite “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” to his mother Dale Evans.
Rogers also sang “The King of the Cowboys,” a song he wrote about the silver screen legend who was his father, Roy Rogers, known during his musical career as Leonard Slye and one of the original members of the Sons of the Pioneers.
Tunes like “Red River Valley,” “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend,” “Cool Water” and “Skyball Paint” got the audience singing along, and some clapped or were spotted tapping their shoes in time to the jaunty, loping beats.
Fullerton mentioned there had been a special request for songs featuring yodeling, and the Sons were more than happy to oblige by including “The Cattle Call.” Each Son had his chance to shine, whether by singing solos or showcasing their talents on their instruments, such as Paul Elliott and his fiddle and Chuck Ervin on the bass.
Right after intermission, the highest bidder on the guitar signed by all the Sons was announced. The instrument was donated by the Hollow Tree Antiques and Pawn Shop. It went to the Stewart family, where it will eventually be played by Kate Stewart – daughter of Tiffany and Ancel.
“Who do we watch at home,” Ancel prompted his 7-year-old daughter, who immediately answered with “Roy Rogers.” The family are all long-time fans of the Sons of the Pioneers and have met them before, following the group around the state; though they live in Calhoun, the Stewarts traveled to Blairsville for the annual performance.
“When they said Dusty was in town, we realized we had to go,’” noted Tiffany Stewart. Kate, for her part, said that she felt “great” about taking home the prized piece of Americana.
At the end of the evening, long-time Sons of the Pioneers fan John Cochran was called to the stage alongside his own band, The Cowhands, which included Moriah Owenby and her father, Wayne Owenby. The group was invited to sing a couple of parting tunes with the Sons, which Cochran called “a dream come true.”
Fullerton asked the audience, “Can we come back again and do this sometime?” The answer was raucous cheering and applause.
Cochran already has plans for what next year will look like after some ideas began to percolate. Fullerton brought some of his own collection of Western memorabilia, so Cochran considered working with the Sons to add a historical presentation.
“We’ll try to get them back next year,” said Troop 101 Leader Joe Rosa while fans took the opportunity to check out Fullerton’s collection. In doing so, they took photos with the Sons and got their autographs.
Cochran later confirmed that many of the scouts, too, enjoyed the concert, and broadened their tastes based on music that has been performed now for nearly a century. Hopefully, they’ll get more chances to enjoy it in the future.
