Ken Curtis & The Sons of the Pioneers

Ken Curtis & The Sons of the Pioneers
Classics

• Category

  Entertainment

[Keith Payne]

Multi talented man. Married Pappy Ford's (the director of The Searchers), daughter and sang at his good friend Ward Bond's (Major Adams of Wagon Train fame),funeral as well as being a pall bearer for him along with other friends Duke Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Dobe Carey. What a pure and wonderful voice!

[elc1960]

Even if someone doesn't care for the song, they can appreciate the fact that the performers did it in ONE COMPLETE TAKE with no overdubs, a feat unequaled in the modern "protools" era. The person who invented that device that bends notes for people so they get that "gurgling" sound should be strung up by his . . . well, you get my drift. That sound surfaced with Cher's "Believe" in 1999, and now modern music is forever poisoned by it. A damn shame.

[Bruce DeLong]

Ken is actually my godfather. -sniff- God bless you Ken Curtis.

[dennis gallagher]

Ken is the only famous person I ever met. I was travelling with a friend from San Angelo Texas to New Orleans and they held the plane for a few minutes for Ken. He was most famous at that time as Festus on Gunsmoke. He was very nice to the other few passengers on board and apologized for holding everyone up.

[Juliaflo]

Do you remember Ken Curtis when he appeared in the television show 'Ripcord'? If so, you are probably older than I am, LOLOLOLOLOL.

[PacRimJim]

According to imdb.com, Ken was a vocalist in the Tommy Dorsey band.

[FunStuffForSteve]

no, it was the theme song in "The Searchers"

[PacRimJim]

Wasn't this song used in a classic western? Rio Bravo?

[SgtDodd]

In the movie Rio Grande when the troop is riding on patrol, John Wayne says "regimental singers give us a song" . The men start singing the old song "Erie Canal" or "15 miles on the Erie Canal" The movie credits the Sons of the Pioneers (20 second duration) but I can find no other recording of this song by them. There are many versions by others but their slow tempo sounds stunning. Any help with this is appreciated

[Keith Payne]

Someone mentioned Ken's part was small in The Searchers. Actually he was one of the supporting actors that was in quite a bit of the movie. His line when he saw Marty embracing the girl he was just about to marry is now a classic, "I'll thank you to unhand my fi AN cee!"

You have to hear it to really appreciate it, LOL. Keith Payne

[grassroot011]

His real name was Curtis  Gates,,

[vegasprowriter]

Thanks for posting this curleyB3. The Sons of the Pioneers were slightly ahead of my time but, my God, the harmonies are AMAZING! I could listen to this over and over and over again!