| Birth: | Jun. 5, 1914
Douglas
Cochise County
Arizona, USA | | Death: | Dec. 13, 1963
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA | 
Songwriter, Actor. He wrote the 1949 classic western song "Ghost Riders in the Sky." Before Ghost Riders, Jones worked in a copper mine, fought forest fires and was a national park ranger in Death Valley CA. It was in Death Valley that Jones first met the famous director John Ford during the remake of the 3 Godfathers. A year later Ghost Riders was released, and Jones was in Hollywood visiting his friend, actor George O'Brien. O'Brien and fellow actor, Harry Carey Jr, arranged a meeting with Ford. This led to a lasting friendship between the feisty director and the gentlemanly Jones. Jones soon introduced the Sons of the Pioneers to Ford, who would use them in many of his westerns. One of the Sons of the Pioneers later married Ford's daughter and became a well know actor. His name was Ken Curtis. Jones wrote songs for Ford's Rio Grande, The Searchers and Wagonmaster. Jones later wrote the theme song for the western television series "Cheyenne." Disney often turned to Jones to write western themed songs for his television series Disney's Wonderful World of Color, including the Great Locomotive Chase. Jones, in addition to songwriting and singing, appeared in Wagonmaster, Rio Grande, The Searchers and was General Grant in The Horse Soldiers. During his career Jones wrote over 200 songs. 100 of the songs were released. In 1997 Jones was inducted in the Western Music Hall of Fame. Though no matter how famous or successful Jones became, he never lost his down to earth outlook, nor forgot the support and encouragement he received from his wife, Olive. His death was too soon and left too many songs unwritten. It has been said that "Stan Jones was to western music, what Charlie Russell was to western painting." There will never be another Stan Jones. Jones is buried at the Julia Page Memorial Park in Douglas Arizona. (bio by: Randy)
Search Amazon for Stan Jones | | | Burial:
Julia Page Memorial Park
Douglas
Cochise County
Arizona, USA |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Randy
Record added: Aug 14, 2006
Find A Grave Memorial# 15357082 |
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