A Sparkling Vintage Life

Here’s a sentimental piece from the 1930s called “The Voice in the Old Village Choir.” The Ranch Boys were a radio-based group of singing cowboys that featured Ken Carson, who also sang with a better-known group called Sons of the Pioneers.

Started in the mid-1920s and epitomized by Gene Autry, the singing-cowboys trend remained hot throughout the 1930s and 1940s, spurred (sorry) by the popularity of the Western film, which nearly always included a cowboy song or two. These songs emphasized bravery, honesty, the grueling work and lonely life of the trail, and–like this one–fond memories of home and loved ones left behind. Other well-known singing cowboys included Ken Maynard and Roy Rogers. Even John Wayne “sang” in some of his early Westerns, although his singing voice was dubbed–apparently he couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.

Enjoy a Sparkling Vintage Sunday!