Bob Nolan
Bob Nolan (born Clarence Robert Nobles; April 13, 1908 – June 16, 1980, name changed to Robert Clarence Nobles in 1929) was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and composer of numerous Country music and Western music songs, including the standards "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds."  He is generally regarded as one of the finest Western songwriters of all time. As an actor and singer he appeared in scores of Western films.

Early years
Nolan was born April 13, 1908, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Harry Nobles and Flora Elizabeth Hussey Nobles. The couple separated in 1915, and Flora raised her two little boys in Winnipeg.

In the summer of 1916, Flora temporarily moved her children to her husband's parents' home in Hatfield Point, New Brunswick, but due to the machinations of his father, Nolan never saw his mother again.

In the summer of 1919, Nolan went to live with his aunt in Boston, Massachusetts. There he attended The Belmont School until 1921, when, at the age of thirteen, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, to live with his father Harry, a United States Army officer. He attended Safford Junior High School until 1922, then transferred to Roskruge Junior High. In high school he was an average student, was a member of the Arion Club choral group, and excelled in athletics. He graduated from Tucson High School in May 1928.

On July 7, 1928, less than two months after he graduated high school, Nolan married his high school sweetheart, 16-year-old Tennie Pearl Fields. Thirteen months later, daughter Roberta Irene was born to them, but the marriage foundered almost from the beginning.

After he left school, Nolan drifted around the country, finding work where he could and always writing songs. He took a lifeguard job in Los Angeles in 1929. His father had changed his name to Nolan and it was as Bob Nolan that he began a career as a singer on the Chautauqua tent-show circuit and as a lifeguard in Santa Monica.

Sons of the Pioneers

In September 1931, Nolan answered a classified ad in The Los Angeles Herald-Examiner that read "Yodeler for old-time act, to travel. Tenor preferred." The band was The Rocky Mountaineers, led by a young singer named Leonard Slye, who would later change his name to Roy Rogers. After listening to the tall, slender, tanned Nolan sing and yodel, Slye hired Nolan on the spot. Although he stayed with the group only a short time, he stayed in touch with Slye.

In 1934, Nolan co-founded the Sons of the Pioneers with Leonard Slye and Tim Spencer. The singing group became very popular and produced numerous recordings for Columbia, Decca, and RCA Victor.

The Sons of the Pioneers began performing Nolan's original songs on a nationally syndicated radio show. "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" became their signature tune and a Western standard, and was one of the first songs the group recorded when it signed with Decca in 1934. In the coming years, The Sons of the Pioneers recorded many other Nolan songs, including "Way Out There", "There's a Roundup in the Sky", "One More Ride", and "Cool Water", which became one of the group's most famous recordings.

In 1937, Leonard Slye took the name Roy Rogers and was forced by his new employers, Republic Pictures, to leave the group. The Pioneers continued to function as a cooperative partnership, with no formal leader, until they rejoined Rogers at Republic in 1941. Nolan reluctantly became the group's front man because his face and voice were the most recognizable in the group.

Film career

In 1934, Nolan began his career in film as the singing voice for Ken Maynard in the 1934 film In Old Santa Fe. In 1935, the Sons of the Pioneers appeared in their first full-length Western movie The Old Homestead. That same year they signed with Columbia Pictures to provide the music for the western films of Charles Starrett. The deal was far from lucrative (they were paid $33 apiece to appear in each film, and Nolan and Spencer each received $10 for every original song), but the worldwide exposure was beneficial to the group.

Nolan appeared in at least 88 Western films, first for Columbia Pictures and later with cowboy stars Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. With the Sons of the Pioneers, he made guest appearances in high-budget films like Hollywood Canteen and Rhythm on the Range with Bing Crosby. He also appeared in the Walt Disney short, Melody Time.

Nolan had strong featured roles in the Charles Starrett westerns, often playing the second lead. Columbia's president Harry Cohn took an interest in Nolan, and issued three edicts: he ordered Nolan to have his nose fixed; he decided that Nolan's singing voice in the early Starrett pictures was not a polished baritone and should be dubbed by other singers; and he wanted to groom Nolan to star in his own movies. Nolan grudgingly went along with Cohn's first two directives but turned down the chance to be a movie star. Movie fans (who knew Nolan's singing voice from records and radio) urged Columbia to use Nolan's own voice, which was finally heard on screen in 1940.

In 1941, Columbia disbanded the close-knit Starrett unit temporarily, freeing the Sons of the Pioneers to join Roy Rogers at Republic Pictures. Nolan and the group appeared as his musical sidekicks in numerous films through 1948. Their last film together was Night Time in Nevada. In many of these films, Nolan was featured in prominent supporting roles with significant dialogue. Republic once offered Nolan his own cowboy film series, which he declined.

On June 11, 1942, Nolan married Clara Brown, whose slight stature led to her being nicknamed P-Nuts. They met at the Columbia Drugstore on Sunset and Gower near the Columbia Studio lot. P-Nuts had come to Hollywood in search of stardom, but found work instead at the drugstore, where Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers frequently had lunch and where Nolan would work on his song lyrics.

Later years

In 1949, Nolan retired from show business and began a semi-secluded life as a songwriter. He returned to record with the Sons of the Pioneers in 1956, at the insistence of RCA Victor executives who wanted to capitalize on Nolan's TV exposure in the old Rogers westerns.

In 1971, Nolan was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1980, at the age of 72, Nolan recorded his last LP album Bob Nolan: The Sound of a Pioneer.

Nolan died on June 16, 1980, in Newport Beach, California, of a heart attack. At his request, his ashes were scattered in Red Rock Canyon in the Nevada desert.

On July 27, 1980, many of his friends and former colleagues gathered at Rex Allen's Diamond X ranch in Calabasas, California, to honor him musically. Among those who attended the memorial were Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the current Sons of the Pioneers, and the Reinsmen.

Honours and awards
  1971 Western Heritage Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame
  1972 BMI Special Citation of Achievement for "Cool Water"
  1976 Gene Autry Award
  1976 Hollywood Walk of Fame Award
  1977 William F. Cody Award
  1979 National Western Film Heritage Award
  1980 Country Music Hall of Fame Country Music Association Award
  1984 New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame Award
  1986 Grammy Award for "Cool Water"
  1993 Canadian Country Music Association Hall of Fame
  1994 Western Music Association Hall of Fame Award
  2005 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Award for "Tumbling Tumbleweeds"
  2005 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Award for "Cool Water"
  2011 American Cowboy Culture Award for Western Music.
  2012 Manitoba Country Music Association Hall of Fame Award

Songs

 "All the Way"
 "Always Rollin' Home"
 "Annie, Dear, I'm Called Away"
 "April"
 "At the Rainbow's End"
 "Autumn Reverie" 
 "Barnyard Jubilee"
 "The Beauty of Your Smile"
 "Biscuit Blues"
 "Blue Prairie"
 "The Boss is Hangin' Out a Rainbow"
 "Bound for the Rio Grande"
 "The Broken Heart Waltz"
 "Bronco Pal"
 "Campfires of Heaven"
 "Chant of the Plains"
 "Chant of the Wanderer"
 "Chico Rotico"
 "Close to Heaven"
 "Cody of the Pony Express"
 "Cool Water"
 "Cottage in the Clouds"
 "Covered Wagon"
 "A Cowboy Has to Sing"
 "Coyote's Serenade"
 "Crossroads"
 "Daddy's on the Rainbow"
 "Desolation"
 "The Devil's Great Grandson"
 "Donde esta el mio?"
 "Don't Expect Me Home in the Morning"
 "Echoes from the Hills"
 "Empty Arms"
 "A Faded Flower Lei"
 "Far Enchanted Isle"
 "Five Little Miles
 "The Flower I Blessed for You"
 "Following the Sun All Day"
 "For the Love of You"
 "Frontiers"
 "Glory of the Lamb"
 "Goofus Stomp"
 "Grab Your Saddle Horn and Blow"
 "The Grey Time"
 "Half Way 'Round the World"
 "Hangin' Blues"
 "Happy Cowboy"
 "Hasta la vista"
 "Have You?"
 "He Walks with the Wild and the Lonely"
 "Heaven is My Island"
 "Heavenly Aeroplane"
 "Hello 'Way Up There"
 "Here is My Helping Hand"
 "Hi Diddle Diddle He Played the Fiddle"
 "High Sierras"
 "Hold that Critter Down"
 "The Home Corral"
 "I'm Constantly Dreaming of You"
 "I Follow the Stream"

 "I Still Do"
 "I Wonder if She Waits for Me Tonight"
 "If You are Willing"
 "In the Wind of Time"
 "In This Room"
 "It's a Lie!"
 "King's Highway"
 "Lazy"
 "Let Me Share Your Name"
 "Let's Pretend"
 "Letter Marked 'Unclaimed'"
 "The Lighthouse of the Lord"
 "Little Spaceman"
 "Lone Buckaroo"
 "Lonely Little Room"
 "Lord, You Made the Cowboy Happy"
 "Love Ever Green"
 "Love Song of the Waterfall"
 "Montana"
 "Moonlight on the Prairie"
 "Move On, You Lazy Cattle"
 "My Boy"
 "My Daddy"
 "My Heart in Deep Despair"
 "My Love's a Voice in the Green Willow Tree"
 "My Mistress the Desert"
 "My Old Pal, Pal of Mine"
 "The Mystery of His Way"
 "Ne Ha Neé"
 "Night Falls on the Prairie"
 "A No-Good Son-of-a-Gun"
 "Oh I Miss You So, My Darling"
 "Old Forgotten Trails"
 "Old Home Town"
 "On the Rhythm Range"
 "One More Ride"
 "Open Range Ahead"
 "The Other Side of Somewhere"
 "Outlaws"
 "Pali Wind"
 "Parting"
 "A Prayer for Christmas Time"
 "The Ranch Next Door"
 "Redwood Trees"
 "Relative Man" 
 "Remember Me"
 "Ridin' Home"
 "Rise and Shine"
 "River Robin"
 "Rocky Road in the Rockies"
 "Rocky Roads"
 "Round-Up in the Sky"
 "Round-Up Time is Over"
 "Saddle the Sun"
 "Saddle Your Worries to the Wind"
 "Sage Brush Sea A Sailor Dreams"
 "Sandman Lullaby"
 "Send Him Home to Me"
 "Shadow on the Wall"

 "Shadows of the Wildwood"
 "She ain't What She Used to Be"
 "Shootin' My Way Through Town"
 "Sing as You Work"
 "Sir Tumbleweed"
 "Sky Ball Paint"
 "Slumber Time on the Range"
 "Someone I Used to Know"
 "Song of the Bandit"
 "Song of the Prairie"
 "Song of the Rover"
 "Song of the Vaqueros"
 "Starlightin' Time in Texas"
 "Still Water Pool"
 "Stop!"
 "Stray Wind"
 "A Summer Night's Rain"
 "Sweet Laredo Lou"
 "That Cloud"
 "They're Gone"
 "Things are Never What They Seem"
 "This Ain't the Same Old Range"
 "This Old White Mule of Mine"
 "Three Friends Have I"
 "Three Guesses"
 "Till You Return"
 "To Will Rogers"
 "The Touch of God's Hand"
 "Trail Dreamin'"
 "Trail Herdin' Cowboy"
 "Trav'lin' with the Sun"
 "Tree"
 "Tumbleweed Trail" 
 "Tumbling Leaves"
 "Tumbling Tumbleweeds"
 "Vagabond Whirlwinds"
 "Volvere a pasar por aqui"
 "Wandering"
 "Watching the Moon Roll By"
 "Way Out There"
 "Welcome to the Spring"
 "Wendin' My Way to Wyoming"
 "The West is in My Soul"
 "What Can We Lose?"
 "What You Gonna Say to Peter?"
 "When He Walks By (How Will I know Him)"
 "When I Leave This World Behind"
 "When Payday Rolls Around"
 "When the Golden Train Comes Down"
 "(When the Prairie Sun Says) Good Mornin'"
 "Who's Gonna Help Me Sing?"
 "Why Don't It Rain?"
 "Why, Tell Me Why?"
 "Wild Pali Wind"
 "Wind"
 "The Wind is Warm Again"
 "The Wonder of It All"
 "You Ain't Heard Nothin' Till You Hear Him Roar!"
 "You Are My Eyes"

Filmography

 Slightly Static (1935, Short) as Member of Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited)
 The Old Homestead (1935) as Member of Sons of the Pioneers
 Way Up Thar  (1935, Short) as Band Member
 Gallant Defender (1935) as Singing Nester (uncredited)
 The Mysterious Avenger (1936) as Musician Bob
 Song of the Saddle (1936) as Singer – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited)
 Rhythm on the Range (1936) as Bob – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited)
 California Mail (1936) as Bass Player (uncredited)
 The Big Show (1936) as Sons of the Pioneers Bassist (uncredited)
 The Old Corral (1936) as O'Keefe Brother (uncredited)
 The Old Wyoming Trail (1937) as Singing Cowhand (uncredited)
 Outlaws of the Prairie (1937) as Ranger (uncredited)
 The Old Barn Dance (1938) as Singer (uncredited)
 Cattle Raiders (1938) as  Member Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited)
 Call of the Rockies (1938) as Band Member
 Law of the Plains (1938) as Band Member
 West of Cheyenne (1938) as Foreman
 South of Arizona (1938) as Bob – Travers Cowhand
 The Colorado Trail (1938) as Himself
 A Feud There Was (1938, Short) (singing voice, uncredited)
 West of the Santa Fe (1938) as Bob
 Rio Grande (1938) as Bob Stevens
 The Thundering West (1939) as Himself (Sons of the Pioneers)
 Texas Stampede (1939) as Himself (Sons of the Pioneers Leader)
 North of the Yukon (1939) as RCMP Const. Bob Cameron
 Spoilers of the Range (1939) as Bob
 Western Caravans (1939) as Bob
 The Man from Sundown (1939) as Bob
 Riders of Black River (1939) as Bob
 Outpost of the Mounties (1939) as Mountie Bob

 The Stranger from Texas (1939) as Deputy
 Two-Fisted Rangers (1939) as Ranch Foreman (Sons of the Pioneers)
 Bullets for Rustlers (1940) as Bob
 Blazing Six Shooters (1940) as Bob
 Texas Stagecoach (1940) as Bob Harper
 The Durango Kid (1940) as Bob
 West of Abilene (1940) as Bob
 Thundering Frontier (1940) as Bob
 The Pinto Kid (1941) as Bob
 Outlaws of the Panhandle (1941) as Bob
 Red River Valley (1941) as Himself (uncredited)
 Man from Cheyenne (1942) as Himself (uncredited)
 South of Santa Fe (1942) as Himself – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited)
 Sunset on the Desert (1942) as Himself (uncredited)
 Romance on the Range (1942) as Himself
 Sons of the Pioneers (1942) as Himself (as Sons of the pioneers)
 Call of the Canyon (1942) as Singer, Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited)
 Sunset Serenade (1942) as Bob
 Heart of the Golden West (1942) as Himself
 Ridin' Down the Canyon (1942) as Himself (Leader Sons of the Pioneers)
 Idaho (1943) as Singer – Member Sons of the Pioneers
 King of the Cowboys (1943) as Himself
 Song of Texas (1943) as Himself
 Silver Spurs (1943) as Singer – Member Sons of the Pioneers
 The Man from Music Mountain (1943) as Bob
 Hands Across the Border (1944) as Himself
 Cowboy and the Senorita (1944) as Bob – Sons of the Pioneers
 The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944) as Singer (as Bob Nolan and The Sons of the Pioneers)
 Song of Nevada (1944) as Bob
 San Fernando Valley (1944) as Bob

 Lights of Old Santa Fe (1944) as Bob – Leader Sons of the Pioneers
 Hollywood Canteen (1944) as Himself (uncredited)
 Utah (1945) as Bob
 Bells of Rosarita (1945) as Himself
 Man from Oklahoma (1945) as Singer – Sons of the Pioneers Leader
 Along the Navajo Trail (1945) as Himself – Leader Sons of the Pioneers
 Sunset in El Dorado (1945) as Bob – Leader Sons of the Pioneers
 Don't Fence Me In (1945) as Bob
 Song of Arizona (1946) as Singer – Sons of the Pioneers
 Ding Dong Williams (1946) as Bob – Sons of the Pioneers Leader
 Home on the Range (1946) as Bob
 Rainbow Over Texas (1946) as Himself
 My Pal Trigger (1946) as Himself
 Under Nevada Skies (1946) as Bob
 Roll on Texas Moon (1946) as Bob
 Home in Oklahoma (1946) as Bob – Leader Sons of the Pioneers
 Heldorado (1946) as Himself
 Apache Rose (1947) as Himself
 Hit Parade of 1947 (1947) as Himself
 Bells of San Angelo (1947) as Bob
 Springtime in the Sierras (1947) as Himself
 On the Old Spanish Trail (1947) as Himself
 The Gay Ranchero (1948) as Bob
 Unusual Occupations (1948, Short)
 Under California Stars (1948) as Bob
 Pecos Bill (1948, Short) as Himself (as Bob Nolan and The Sons of the Pioneers)
 Melody Time (1948) as Himself (as Bob Nolan and The Sons of the Pioneers)
 Eyes of Texas (1948) as Bob
 Night Time in Nevada (1948) as Cowhand, Singer (final film role)

References

External links

 Bob Nolan at allmusic
 Bob Nolan at B-Westerns
 Bob Nolan at CMT
 
 Bob Nolan at Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
 Bob Nolan at Western Music Association Hall of Fame
 Bob Nolan at Manitoba Country Music Hall of Fame
 The Elizabeth Drake McDonald Collection in the Southern Historical Collection, UNC-Chapel Hill
 Poet Laureate of the West Video produced by the PBS Series History Detectives

1908 births
1980 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American singers
20th-century Canadian male actors
20th-century Canadian male singers
20th-century American male singers
American country singer-songwriters
American male film actors
American male singer-songwriters
Canadian country singer-songwriters
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States
Canadian male film actors
Canadian male singer-songwriters
Male actors from Winnipeg
Musicians from Winnipeg
RCA Victor artists
Sons of the Pioneers members
Tucson High School alumni