Roy Rogers Show, The

The Roy Rogers Show was a 30-minute Western radio program in the United States that began in 1944 and ended in 1955. It was carried on more than 500 stations and was one of the first radio series to be transcribed due to demands on Rogers’ time for personal appearances and making films.

The show centered on Roy Rogers, one of the most popular singing-cowboy movie stars. Initially, the radio show differed in format from The Roy Rogers Show on TV, with the radio version being more oriented toward music. Toward its end, however, it moved more toward the adventure featured in the TV show.

The Stars

Rogers was the star, with wife Dale Evans and sidekick Gabby Hayes. Initially, the Sons of the Pioneers were the featured musical group; in 1948, they were replaced by Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage.

In the show’s later years, Pat Brady replaced Hayes as Rogers’ sidekick.

Key Dates

• The Roy Rogers Show radio program began on November 21, 1944.
• It ran until July 21st, 1955.
• It was one of the first radio series to be transcribed due to the demands on Rogers’ time for personal appearances and making films.

Other Information

The show’s music, like that featured in Rogers’ movies, had a lasting effect on the music business. A 1986 article in Billboard magazine endorsed Rogers’ membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame, stating that “Two generations of Americans grew up with Rogers on the silver screen, TV, and radio – and the impact he had on the present success of country music would be hard to estimate and easy to underestimate.”

Rogers was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame as an individual in 1988.

The triumph of good over evil was a continuing thread throughout the program’s existence. A 1954 newspaper article noted that Rogers’ radio and TV shows featured “entertainment in which justice triumphs,” with “A steady parade of badmen forever appear to plague the law-abiding, justice-loving Roy Rogers and to present to Roy and his friends a constant challenge.” Embezzlers, swindlers, poachers, bank robbers, horse thieves, and diamond smugglers were each to be vanquished in turn by the hard-riding cowboy.

The 94-song box set of Rogers’ music released by Rhino Entertainment in 1999 was described as “heavy on transcriptions of old radio show broadcasts, auditions, and live performances that have never before been released.”

This demonstrated the enduring appeal of the music featured on The Roy Rogers Show radio program.