"Happy Trails"
Single by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
Released1952 (1952)
GenreCountry, folk, theme song
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Dale Evans

"Happy Trails" is a song by Roy Rogers and his wife Dale Evans, known as the theme song for the 1940s and 1950s radio program and the 1950s television show in which they starred. It was written by Evans and always sung by the duo over the end credits of those programs.

"Happy Trails" was released in 1952 as a 78 RPM and 45 RPM by Rogers and Evans with the Whippoorwills and Orchestra, on RCA Victor Records. It was re-issued in 1957 as a 45 RPM record on RCA Victor/Bluebird. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.[1]

Foy Willing's version

In 1951, Foy Willing had written a song titled "Happy Trails" for the Republic Pictures movie, Spoilers of the Plains, starring Roy Rogers with Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage. Subsequently, the first three notes of Foy's song and the title were used by Dale Evans in writing her version of "Happy Trails" for both the original The Roy Rogers Show and the short-lived The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show, which aired on ABC in 1962. Dale's is the version that is popularly played and sung today, albeit without giving credit to Foy Willing.[2]

Cover versions

There have been numerous notable covers of Dale Evans' version of the song. For example:

References

  1. โ†‘ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
  2. โ†‘ Willing, Sharon Lee (October 16, 2006). No One to Cry To. Wheatmark. p. 80. ISBN 1-58736-686-X.
  3. โ†‘ "John Lennon and Yoko Ono Dick Cavett Show Excerpt 4 of 6". YouTube. 2006-12-08. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
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