Douglas Bruce Green (born March 20, 1946), better known by his stage name Ranger Doug, is an American musician, arranger, award-winning Western music songwriter, and

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

member best known for his work with Western music and the group Riders in the Sky in which he plays guitar and sings lead and

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

vocals. He is also an exceptionally accomplished yodeler. With the Riders, he is billed as "Ranger Doug — The Idol of American Youth" and "Governor of the Great State of Rhythm". Riders in the Sky website
Accessed July 16, 2008. He is also a member of The Time Jumpers.

Biography

Green graduated from Cranbrook in 1964, and the University of Michigan in 1968. He has a master's degree in Literature from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.Cusic, Don. (2003). "It's the Cowboy Way". Lexington, KY. University Press of Kentucky Press. . He continues to write as a music historian. His 2002 Vanderbilt University Press book "Singing in the Saddle" was the first comprehensive look at the singing cowboy phenomenon that swept the United States in the 1930s. In addition, he hosts "Ranger Doug's Classic Cowboy Corral" satellite radio show, delving into his personal vintage cowboy music collection. The show features the music of such classic western performers as

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

, Roy Rogers, Tex Ritter, Rex Allen, and the Sons of the Pioneers, as well as more obscure recordings. Green provides commentary with fellow Rider in the Sky Fred LaBour (stand-up bassist stage-named Too Slim) in the role of Ranger Doug's sidekick, the crusty old trail cook called Sidemeat. The show currently airs Fridays at 11pm ET, Saturdays at 8pm ET, and Sundays at 9am ET, on Sirius/XM's Willie's Roadhouse Channel SiriusXM56. Prior to forming Riders in the Sky, he performed with The Boys from Shiloh, The Shinbone Alley All Stars, and The Doug Green Band. In 1967 and 1969 he worked two stints with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and one with Jimmy Martin in 1969. He recorded two albums in 1972 with Vic Jordan and the Buck White Family, one of gospel songs (''In God's Eyes'') and one traditional bluegrass named after his daughters Liza Jane and Sally Anne. Green has also recorded the solo album ''Songs of the Sage''.

Songs of the Sage at Allmusic. A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

Accessed July 13, 2008.

References

External links

Riders in the Sky website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Douglas B. American country singer-songwriters 1946 births Yodelers Living people University of Michigan alumni Vanderbilt University alumni Music historians People from Great Lakes, Illinois Singer-songwriters from Illinois Country musicians from Illinois