Foy Willing (May 14, 1914 – July 24, 1978) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and bandleader, who performed Western music and appeared in

Western movies The Western is a film genre defined by the American Film Institute as films which are "set in the American West that mbodythe spirit, the struggle, and the demise of the new frontier." Generally set in the American frontier between the Californi ...

. He formed the band

Riders of the Purple Sage ''Riders of the Purple Sage'' is a Western novel by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1912. Considered by scholars to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been calle ...

Early years

Foy Lopez Willingham was born in Iredell, Texas, United States. He began his career while attending high school in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

by working at a local radio station. In 1933, he traveled to New York City to further his radio career. In 1940, he moved to

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, and in 1942 to California where he became popular during the

Golden Age of Radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

Riders of the Purple Sage

In 1942, Willing co-founded Foy Willing and the

, with Iowa musician Al Sloey. The band included

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), better known by her stage name Patti Page, was an American singer. Primarily known for Pop music, pop and Country music, country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and b ...

on vocals, fiddler Johnny Paul, and accordionist Ken Coopern. The band's first hit, "Texas Blues", was written by Willing. They grew in fame and over their ten-year career, performed as the musical group backing up Monte Hale and

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

for

Republic Studios Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

. Willing and his band appeared as performers in many Western movies in the 1940s and early 1950s with Charles Starrett, Monte Hale, and

and

Dale Evans Dale Evans Rogers (born Frances Octavia Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the second wife of singing cowboy film star Roy Rogers. Early life and career Dale Evans was born ...

. The Willing-led Riders of the Purple Sage disbanded in 1952.

Later years

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage occasionally reunited to record and perform, and Willing went on to appear at Western festivals during the 1970s. Willing also traveled with

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

during Autry's North American tour. On October 30, 1963, Les Paul sued Mary Ford for divorce, in

Hackensack, New Jersey Hackensack is the most populous municipality in and the county seat of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

, charging that Ford left Paul for Willing. In 1966, Willing married Sharon Lee. Willing died on July 24, 1978, in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, of a heart attack.

Discography

* 2007 ''Tumbling Tumbleweeds'' (Varese Sarabande) * 2005 ''And the Riders of the Purple Sage'' (BACM) * 2005 ''Timber Trail'' (Cattle) * 2005 ''Trail Herdin' Cowboy'' * 2003 ''Sagebrush Swing'' (Collectors' Choice Music) * 1999 ''Cowboy/New Sound of American Folk'' (DRG) * 1998 ''Collectors Edition'' (Pickwick) * 1962 ''The New Sound of American Folk'' * 1958 ''Cowboy'' * 1950 ''Riders of the Purple Sage''

Filmography

* 1951 "Texas Carnival" * 1951 "Disc Jockey" * 1951 ''Heart of the Rockies'' * 1951 ''Spoilers of the Plains'' * 1950 ''Trail of Robin Hood'' * 1950 ''North of the Great Divide'' * 1950 ''Sunset in the West'' * 1950 ''Trigger, Jr.'' * 1950 '' Twilight in the Sierras'' * 1950 ''Bells of Coronado'' * 1949 '' The Golden Stallion'' * 1949 ''Down Dakota Way'' * 1949 ''Susanna Pass'' * 1948 ''The Far Frontier'' * 1948 '' Grand Canyon Trail'' * 1948 '' The Timber Trail'' * 1948 '' California Firebrand'' * 1947 '' Under Colorado Skies'' * 1947 '' Along the Oregon Trail'' * 1947 '' Last Frontier Uprising'' * 1946 '' Out California Way'' * 1945 '' Saddle Serenade'' * 1945 '' Sing Me a Song of Texas'' * 1944 '' Cyclone Prairie Rangers'' * 1944 '' Cowboy from Lonesome River'' * 1944 ''Swing in the Saddle'' * 1944 ''Twilight on the Prairie'' * 1944 ''Sundown Valley'' * 1944 ''Cowboy Canteen'' * 1943 '' Cowboy in the Clouds'' * 1941 ''Royal Mounted Patrol'' * 1941 ''Prairie Stranger''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willing, Foy 1914 births 1978 deaths American bandleaders 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American male musicians