For most of his very early films, Bob Nolan, who was born as Robert Clarence Nobles, wasn’t individually credited because he showed up as one of the members of the Sons of the Pioneers, a musical group started in 1931 as The Rocky Mountaineers. Leonard Slye, who would go on to become Roy Rogers, and Bob Nolan were the two original members. There were a number of changes in those first few years but by early 1934 the group consisted of Leonard Slye, Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer on vocals, with Nolan playing string bass and Slye playing rhythm guitar. In 1971, Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer were both elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1972, most of the surviving members of the Sons of the Pioneers, including the original Pioneer Trio of Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer, gathered at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles for one last performance. In 1976, the Sons of the Pioneers were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Just some of the Country & Western standards penned by Nolan include Tumbling Tumbleweeds, which became the signature tune for the group, Way Out There, There’s a Roundup in the Sky, One More Ride, and Cool Water.
Features & TV Movies:
VR indicates Direct-to-Video Release
Slightly Static (1935, short)
The Old Homstead (1935)
Way Up Thar (1935, short)
Gallant Defender (1935)
The Mysterious Avenger (1936)
Song of the Saddle (1936)
Rhythm on the Range (1936)
California Mail (1936)
The Big Show (1936)
The Old Carral (1936)
The Old Wyoming Trail (1937)
Outlaws of the Prairie (1937)
The Old Barn Dance (1938)
Cattle Raiders (1938)
Call of the Rockies (1938)
Law of the Plains (1938)
West of Cheyenne (1938)
South of Arizona (1938)
The Colorado Trail (1938)
A Feud Was There (1938)
West of the Sante Fe (1938)
Rio Grande (1938)
The Thundering West (1939)
Texas Stampede (1939)
North of the Yukon (1939)
Spoilers of the Range (1939)
Western Caravans (1939)
The Man From Sundown (1939(
Riders of Black River (1939)
Outpost of the Mounties (1939)
The Stranger from Texas (1939)
Two-Fisted Rangers (1939)
Bullets for Rustlers (1940)
Blazing Six Shooters (1940)
Texas Stagecoach (1940)
The Durango Kid (1940)
West of Abilene (1940)
Thundering Frontier (1940)
The Pinto Kid (1941)
Outlaws of the Panhandle (1941)
Red River Valley (1941)
Man from Cheyenne (1942)
South of Santa Fe (1942)
Sunset on the Desert (1942)
Romance on the Range (1942)
Sons of the Pioneers (1942)
Call of the Canton (1942)
Sunset Serenade (1942)
Heart of the Golden West (1942)
Ridin’ Down the Canton (1942)
Idaho (1943)
King of the Cowboys (1942)
Song of Texas (1943)
Silver Spurs (1943)
Man from Music Mountain (1943)
Hands Across the Border (1944)
Cowboy of the Senorita (1944)
The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944)
Song of Nevada (1944)
San Fernando Valley (1944)
Lights of Old Sante Fe (1944)
Hollywood Canteen (1944)
Utah (1945)
Bells of Rosarita (1945)
Man from Oklahoma (1945)
Along the Navajo Trail (1945)
Sunset in El Dorado (1945)
Don’t Fence Me In (1945)
Song of Arizona (1946)
Ding Dong Williams (1946)
Home on the Range (1946)
Rainbow Over Texas (1946)
My Pal Trigger (1946)
Roll on Texas Moon (1946)
Home in Oklahoma (1946)
Heldorado (1946)
Apache Rose (1947)
Hit Parade of 1947 (1947)
Bells of San Angelo (1947)
Springtime in the Sierras (1947)
On the Old Spanish Trail (1947)
Pecos Bill (1948, short)
The Gay Ranchero (1948)
Under California Stars (1948)
Eyes of Texas (1948)
Credits as a Composer:
Rio Grande (1938)
Western Caravans (1939)
Riders of Black River (1939)
The Durango Kid (1940)
West of Abilene (1940)
Thundering Frontier (1940)
Northernstars.ca is published by the Canadian Independent Visual
and Digital Media Association – A nonprofit corporation.
Toronto, Ontario, M4X 1X7
First published as Northernstars.net February 1, 1998
ISSN 2563 4895