Stan Jones(1914-1963)
- Actor
- Music Department
- Writer
Composer, songwriter and actor Stan Jones was born in Douglas, Arizona,
on June 5, 1914. He learned to ride horses as a child, a skill that
came in handy later in his life (as did his talent for singing and
playing the guitar). After his father died his mother moved the family
to Los Angeles. He attended UC Berkeley for a time, and began riding
the rodeo circuit in his spare time to make money. He dropped out of
college in 1934, however, to join the navy, and after his discharge
held a variety of jobs all over the country, including copper miner,
logger and snowplow driver. He was hired as a firefighter by the US
Forest Service, and later became a Forest Ranger, being assigned to
various national parks in the western US.
While stationed at Death Valley, California, in 1948, he was assigned
to be technical advisor for a western being shot there,
The Walking Hills (1949). In
between filming, he would sit around with the cast and crew and play
various songs he had written. They encouraged him to try to get the
songs published, and he eventually sent his compositions to several
music publishers. One of his songs was picked up and recorded by
folksinger Burl Ives for Columbia Records,
"Riders in the Sky". It was then recorded by
Bing Crosby and, under the title "Ghost
Riders in the Sky", by Vaughn Monroe,
whose version became a major hit, so much so that cowboy actor
Gene Autry filmed a movie using the
title
(Riders in the Sky (1949)), in
addition to recording the song itself, and Stan's career was off and
running. His songs were used in two westerns by acclaimed director
John Ford --
Wagon Master (1950) and
Rio Grande (1950), in which Stan also
played a cavalry sergeant -- and Autry again made a movie based on
another of Stan's songs,
Whirlwind (1951), in which Stan also
had a small part. His songs were used in a half-dozen more films over
the next few years.
In 1955 actor Harry Carey Jr. was hired
by Walt Disney for a TV series called
The Adventures of Spin and Marty (1955).
Carey had worked with Stan on both "Wagon Master" and "Rio Grande" and
suggested to Disney that Stan be hired to write songs for the show, a
suggestion Disney followed. Stan wrote all the songs for the first two
seasons of the show (he also made an occasional appearance before the
cameras), but for the third season many of the songs were written by
others, although some of Stan's were used.
He later worked on the soundtracks for several Disney films, and was
the co-writer for the theme song for the western series
Cheyenne (1955). In 1956 he was
hired to play Deputy Olson on the modern-day western series
The Sheriff of Cochise (1956)
(later renamed "U.S. Marshal") and in addition wrote the theme song and
even some episodes of the show. In 1959 he worked for director John
Ford again, writing the songs for his western
The Horse Soldiers (1959) and
even playing, uncredited, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Then it was back to
television work for Disney. His last film as an actor was in
Ten Who Dared (1960).
Stan Jones died in Los Angeles, California, in 1963.
on June 5, 1914. He learned to ride horses as a child, a skill that
came in handy later in his life (as did his talent for singing and
playing the guitar). After his father died his mother moved the family
to Los Angeles. He attended UC Berkeley for a time, and began riding
the rodeo circuit in his spare time to make money. He dropped out of
college in 1934, however, to join the navy, and after his discharge
held a variety of jobs all over the country, including copper miner,
logger and snowplow driver. He was hired as a firefighter by the US
Forest Service, and later became a Forest Ranger, being assigned to
various national parks in the western US.
While stationed at Death Valley, California, in 1948, he was assigned
to be technical advisor for a western being shot there,
The Walking Hills (1949). In
between filming, he would sit around with the cast and crew and play
various songs he had written. They encouraged him to try to get the
songs published, and he eventually sent his compositions to several
music publishers. One of his songs was picked up and recorded by
folksinger Burl Ives for Columbia Records,
"Riders in the Sky". It was then recorded by
Bing Crosby and, under the title "Ghost
Riders in the Sky", by Vaughn Monroe,
whose version became a major hit, so much so that cowboy actor
Gene Autry filmed a movie using the
title
(Riders in the Sky (1949)), in
addition to recording the song itself, and Stan's career was off and
running. His songs were used in two westerns by acclaimed director
John Ford --
Wagon Master (1950) and
Rio Grande (1950), in which Stan also
played a cavalry sergeant -- and Autry again made a movie based on
another of Stan's songs,
Whirlwind (1951), in which Stan also
had a small part. His songs were used in a half-dozen more films over
the next few years.
In 1955 actor Harry Carey Jr. was hired
by Walt Disney for a TV series called
The Adventures of Spin and Marty (1955).
Carey had worked with Stan on both "Wagon Master" and "Rio Grande" and
suggested to Disney that Stan be hired to write songs for the show, a
suggestion Disney followed. Stan wrote all the songs for the first two
seasons of the show (he also made an occasional appearance before the
cameras), but for the third season many of the songs were written by
others, although some of Stan's were used.
He later worked on the soundtracks for several Disney films, and was
the co-writer for the theme song for the western series
Cheyenne (1955). In 1956 he was
hired to play Deputy Olson on the modern-day western series
The Sheriff of Cochise (1956)
(later renamed "U.S. Marshal") and in addition wrote the theme song and
even some episodes of the show. In 1959 he worked for director John
Ford again, writing the songs for his western
The Horse Soldiers (1959) and
even playing, uncredited, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Then it was back to
television work for Disney. His last film as an actor was in
Ten Who Dared (1960).
Stan Jones died in Los Angeles, California, in 1963.