Above, Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage in a lobby card from UNDER COLORADO SKIES (Republic, 1947), one of the Monte Hale series in Trucolor. The RPS members shown above are, from L-to-R: Scotty Harrell (Foy Woodrow Harrel), Foy Willing (Foy Willingham), Al Sloey and Johnny Paul (John Paul Girardi).

There were other members of the group, including Burton 'Bud' Sievert, Darol Rice, George Bamby, Al Duncan and Jimmie Dean (Eddie Dean's brother).

In the post WW2 period, the RPS were the singin' helpers to Republic Pictures western heroes Roy Rogers and Monte Hale. They replaced the Sons of the Pioneers and there are two bits of scuttlebutt about why this change occurred: SOP members Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer were tired of the touring, and Spencer had a publishing business to maintain, and they both decided to exit at or around the time that the SOP contract with Republic was ending. The more often quoted story is that the Riders of the Purple Sage were less expensive than the SOP, an attribute much appreciated by the thrifty Republic Pictures.

In addition to records, movies and personal appearances, the Riders were members of Roy Rogers' radio program, THE ROY ROGERS SHOW, and they were also the background tunesters for the THE ANDREWS SISTERS DUDE RANCH program (which premiered in 1944) and the mid 1940s HOLLYWOOD BARN DANCE show. They also were the hosts of ALL-STAR WESTERN THEATER program which was transcribed in Los Angeles/Hollywood (early broadcasts mention KNX, Columbia Square, The 'Voice of Hollywood'; later broadcasts note the Mutual/Don Lee Broadcasting System).  It ran from 1946-1948 and consisted of over a 100 half hour broadcasts.

Foy Willing was born in Bosque County, Texas on May 14, 1914 and passed away on July 24, 1978.

The official Riders of the Purple Sage website is at: http://www.ridersofthepurplesage.com/

In 1991, Willing and the Riders were inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame: http://www.westernmusic.com/performers/hof-willing.html

Right is Foy Willing (1914-1978) and the photo was taken at one of the 1970s film conventions. His real name was Foy Willingham.

(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Sharon Lee Willing has authored No One to Cry To: A Long, Hard Ride into the Sunset with Foy Willing of The Riders of the Purple Sage. Sharon is Foy's widow, and the book chronicles his rise to national popularity on radio, million-selling records, and work in B westerns with Charles Starrett, Monte Hale and Roy Rogers. It also includes his sad career decline and battle with alcohol and drugs. Published November, 2006, the 6 X 9 paperback has about 260 pages and includes a complete filmography, discography, and lots of photos. You can order through the publisher, Wheatmark, Inc., or online at stores including amazon and Borders. The price is about $20.00. More info is available at the Wheatmark website - when you get to this webpage, click on "Art & Entertainment" in the left side menu, and you'll find the book listing: http://www.wheatmark.com/bookstore/