Tribute
Riders in the Sky
By John Ascuaga’s Nugget
Posted: Mar 27, 2008 - 6:40:00 AM

Sparks/Reno, Nev. – Saddle-up for a slice of musical Americana when Riders in the Sky mosey in to the Celebrity Showroom at John Ascuaga's Nugget on April 4.

Riders in the Sky is a Western music and comedy group which began performing 1977. They have won two Grammy Awards and have composed music for major motion pictures, including Toy Story 2's "Woody's Roundup" and Pixar's short film, "For the Birds". For most of this time, the group was a trio, Ranger Doug (Douglas B. Green), Woody Paul (Paul Woodrow Chrisman), and Too Slim (Fred LaBour). In recent years, the group has added Joey Miskulin on accordion. They bill themselves as Ranger Doug ("The Idol of American Youth"), Woody Paul ("King of the Cowboy Fiddlers"), Too Slim ("a Righteous Tater"/"The Man of a Thousand Hats"), and Joey ("the Cowpolka King").

The group is one of the hardest working musical acts in showbiz, and one of the most educated. Douglas "Ranger Doug" Green has a Masters degree in literature, Fred "Too Slim" Labour has a Masters degree in Wildlife Management, and Paul "Woody Paul" Chisman has a PhD in Nuclear Physics. In their first 25 years, they have performed in over 5200 live performances, almost 300 national television appearances, over 200 public radio shows, 700 Grand Ole Opry appearances, three television series (including a 1991-92 CBS Saturday morning show), an appearance on a "Duck Dodgers" cartoon on the Cartoon Network and more than 30 albums.

Riders in the Sky perform authentic renditions of old classic cowboy and Western songs, as well as original works and various comedic skits and songs. Their combination of gentle parody and true respect for the genre, as well as their great skill as musicians and clever wit is a major reason for their popularity and endurance.

Riders in the Sky play one night only, Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m. in the Celebrity Showroom. Tickets are just $28, and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com. Dinner and show packages are available. “Do the Nugget Tonight!”