Karl Farr

1909-1961

Marriage to May Barksdale * The Sons of the Pioneers * Unexpected Death

Although Karl Farr was the Sons of the Pioneers’ first and longest-tenured lead guitar player and had a significant influence on their sound and hence on western music as a whole, far too little is known about the man because no recorded interview has been found. Those with whom he worked considered Karl an outstanding musician and a gentleman with a great sense of humor. He was an easygoing man who took great pride in his work. Lloyd Perryman best summed it up for Pioneers and fans alike when he said, “There was only one Karl Farr. There will never be another.”

NOTE: Much of the content for this biography comes from Ken Griffis’ book Hear My Song: The Story of the Celebrated Sons of the Pioneers and is used with permission of the copyright holders. It is supplemented here with information from research by Elizabeth McDonald and the words of Karl’s only child, Karl E. Farr. All photos are from the Karl E. Farr collection, Southern Folklife Collection UNC, unless otherwise stated.

“My grandpa Farr was born in San Saba, Texas, in 1870. The Farrs married into the Fleming family, which had two ranches in San Saba, and the Fleming Spring Ranch was built in 1856. My grandpa was a carpenter and moved a lot. I really do not think my grandma was Cherokee at all, as my uncle Hugh told a lot of stories which are not true.”
—Karl E. Farr (Karl Farr, Jr.)

“My wife [Pat Farr] and Tommy Lee Jones' secretary at the Fleming Springs Ranch in San Saba, Texas, where Tommy Lee lives.
My great great grandparents built the ranch in 1856, and now Tommy has it.”
—Karl E. Farr

Karl Marx Farr was born April 25, 1909, in Rochelle, Texas. The name Karl Marx was suggested by relatives who were of a socialistic persuasion. He was born into a musical family numbering eight children: Lyla, Belle, Winnie, Stella, Maggie, Hugh, Glen and, finally, Karl. His mother, Hattie, played guitar, and his father, Thomas, was a fiddler. Making music was as natural as breathing, and all the children were talented. Their sister, Belle, was considered one of the best guitarists in the state, and Hugh was a child prodigy. They had plenty of practice playing for community gatherings and parties in those days before radio and television. Karl started playing the mandolin at 7 years of age, and he took it for granted that he would play with the rest of the family. At age 13 he played drums, banjo, and guitar as a member of Chet Miller’s band, performing in and around Big Springs. Although he was skilled on many instruments, it was as a superb, innovative guitarist that we remember him.

The Farr Family, 1942, Reno, Texas (near Azle, where they are at rest).
Standing left to right is Glen, Hugh, and Karl. Grandpa and grandma with dad's guitar, a Miami, which looks like a Martin.
—Karl E. Farr

By 1925, after several moves within Texas, the family settled down in Encino, California, and Karl and Glen moved near Bakersfield where they worked at whatever job they could find so they could perform at night. While Karl was working for Charles and Nancy Barksdale, cotton farmers from Moody, Texas, who had settled there between Weedpatch and Arvin about 18 miles southeast of Bakersfield, he met their beautiful daughter May. Three years later, on Feb. 3, 1928, they married. At the end of that year, they had their only child: a son, Karl Elbert.

Returning to the Los Angeles area in late 1928, Karl joined Hugh and Glen. They debuted in 1929 on radio station KELW, a San Fernando Valley radio station located near Hollywood Way and Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, and continued with numerous appearances throughout Southern California.

Karl and Glen.
“Dad with the long tie and Glen, probably at Van Nuys High School.”
—Karl E. Farr

On several occasions, the three brothers provided entertainment for employees of the city of Los Angeles. Glen recalled after one such dance they approached the fellow in charge for the money due them. Somewhat disturbed, the fellow indicated he had already paid “their manager.” But they had no manager, and it was evident that some impostor had collected their pay and departed.

The trio made several appearances in early 1929 on radio station KELW in Burbank. Glen Strange and Tom Murray were also appearing there at that time. Murray was soon to be associated with the very successful Beverly Hill Billies, and Strange was to go on to a career as a character actor in the movies and on the TV series Gunsmoke, where he acted the role of Sam the bartender.

In late 1929, Karl and Hugh joined the Len Nash band, then playing around Long Beach. Karl was soon added to the staff of radio station KFOX, where he remained until 1934. In addition to his work on KFOX, he put together several small combos, imaginatively called the Hotcha Two, Continental Boys, and the Blue Ribbon Group, working around Long Beach.

Karl E. Farr recalled an incident during his father’s time at KFOX:

“I was in a big earthquake in Long Beach, California, in 1933 that killed 115 people. That was a big one. We have a lot of pictures of the damage. Dad was working at KFOX and got a medal for staying on the job. I remember it well as I was outside in the alley and could hardly stand up. We lived upstairs, and Mom could hardly get down. Uncle Hugh helped her down. Also some buildings were on fire.”

Pauline and Christine Stafford had been working at KFOX for a couple of years when Len Nash and his group, which included Hugh and Karl, joined the station. Christine recalls that Hugh was outgoing, that Karl was quiet, and that Hugh watched over Karl very competently. Christine wrote to Ken Griffis:

While the Pioneers were working at KFWB, we were working with the Crockett Family over at CBS. We did four one-hour shows a week and the Barn Dance on Saturday night. Peter Potter was the emcee.

We remember one day at KFOX when a musical group with which Karl and Hubert played was to rehearse a number. The person passing out the parts walked right by Karl’s music stand, knowing that Karl didn’t read music. Karl blew up and let it be known that in the future he was to be given the guitar part. During the number Karl sat there looking at the music, meanwhile playing like Andres Segovia gone modern. He had such good taste and musical talent, he really didn’t need printed music. And he was a wonderful person. We loved him.

We were just as fond of Hubert, who, unlike Karl, was gruff and outspoken. One night at KHJ when we were doing a show with the Pioneers, the girl who was substituting in our trio was late for rehearsal. Hubert wasn’t too happy. When she came in, Hubert growled out, “Here we set, a million dollars’ worth of talent, waiting on 15 cents.” We accepted Hubert as he was. And how beautifully he played the violin.

Shortly after leaving KFOX, Karl was offered a spot with Jimmy LeFevre and His Saddle Pals, with most of their time spent at the 97th Street Corral in Los Angeles. Gladys LeFevre, widow of Jimmy, recalled vividly hearing for the first time “a real fine-sounding guitar” in the band. She stated they were all impressed with Karl’s playing and found him enjoyable to work with. It is her feeling that Karl had been with the band “about a year” when he left to join the Pioneers. It is believed Karl joined the group around May 1935. Brother Hugh made no secret of the fact he wanted his younger brother to join the Sons of the Pioneers, and of course, nothing pleased Karl more. They needed a quality guitarist; Roy Rogers played good, but not great, guitar. Karl’s guitar styling was his own. Unlike the usual closed-chord rhythm of the Texas guitarists, he emphasized single-note runs, more in the southeastern backup tradition.

As staff members at KFWB, the Sons of the Pioneers were each paid $37.50 per week and received no extra payment for their many daily appearances. When the men approached management about adding Karl, they were told a guitarist wasn't necessary so, if they wished to add him, they would have to pay him themselves. They agreed to that, and each man gave Karl $10 each per week out of his own pay. This made Karl the highest paid member of the group.

The Sons of the Pioneers aka “Farley's Gold Star Rangers” with Gus Mack on the right

In August 1934 the Sons of the Pioneers had begun recording a series of transcriptions for Standard Radio in Los Angeles, California. These transcriptions are the earliest and most complete record of the formative days of the Sons of the Pioneers. Len Slye (Roy Rogers), Bob Nolan, Tim Spencer, and Hugh Farr recorded the first set of transcriptions less than one year after the group was organized. These were also the first transcriptions to be released by Standard Radio, so they were the first western group to be heard from local radio stations across the country. Many of the songs on these transcriptions were written by Nolan and Spencer because they were encouraged to use as much of their own original material and public domain music as they could in order to keep Standard’s ASCAP license fees low. Many of the songs were never commercially recorded, and we would never had heard them but for the transcriptions. It was the Sons of the Pioneers' Standard Radio transcriptions, even more than their radio broadcasts, records, and film appearances that were responsible for spreading the group’s music and popularity throughout the nation because, at its peak, Standard Radio was serving more than 1,000 radio stations in the United States.

Karl Farr joined them in 1935 in time to record the second set of Standard transcriptions. Farr was a fine musician, strongly influenced by the guitar styling of gypsy-jazz luminary Django Reinhardt, and he added a jazzy element that complemented his brother Hugh's fiddle. This set the Pioneer sound above all other groups of the day. Each man was unique, but none stood above the other in quality of sound. The group was all about excellence, attention to detail, blend and harmony. The combination of their unique harmony singing (including harmony yodeling) and jazzy fiddle playing with syncopated guitar was new and drew immediate attention from the public. According to Rogers, Hugh encouraged Karl to perfect a take-off style of playing. Returning the favor, Karl’s backup guitar work inspired Hugh’s fiddle playing. Karl is recognized as one of the early guitar stylists of the ‘30s and ‘40s, and two legends of the music, Merle Travis and Joe Maphis, later acknowledged his influence on their careers.

Four or five years after the first transcriptions, the Farr brothers recorded several instrumentals for Standard Radio, with the label reading “The Cornhuskers.” These transcriptions represent an excellent example of the early styling of these impressive musicians.

While at Los Angeles station KHJ, the Pioneers were offered a spot on Peter Potter’s Hollywood Barn Dance, featuring the Four Squires, and the Stafford Sisters—Christine, Pauline and Jo, as well as others. During the Stafford Sisters’ association with the Pioneers, at least one demo recording was made as “Sons and Daughters of the Pioneers.” It was Bob Nolan's idea, and no one was sure why it didn't get off the ground.

“I remember seeing Jo Stafford at the Hollywood Barn Dance when I was a kid. The Pioneers played there.”
—Karl E. Farr

NOTE: Karl’s musical career is heavily tied to the Sons of the Pioneers’ career as a group. The group’s career is documented in much greater detail in Bob Nolan’s biography pages, beginning here. This page describes just those parts of the Pioneers’ career that give context to comments or unique photographs from Karl E. Farr.

Early in 1937, the Sons of the Pioneers signed an agreement with Columbia Pictures to appear in a series of westerns films. In those days, a movie deal was supposed to mean that you were a big name, but in nearly all the early pictures they made, the Pioneers were only interludes in the action or voices in the background.  

The Pioneers asked Ray Whitley to represent them in their contract negotiations with Columbia’s boss, Harry Cohn. Whitley rejected Cohn's first offer and was reminded by Cohn that he was the star-maker. Whitley tried to explain that the Pioneers were worth much more than what he was offering them, but, when he presented the contract to the men, they signed because they were eager to be movie stars. It was a lot of work and involved getting up early for their radio work and then appearing at the Columbia set by 6:30 in the morning. The films were made as quickly as possible, from eight to 18 days each.

From the movie South of Arizona, 1938

Left: from the movie Rio Grande. Right: Karl "rescuing" May from Charles Starrett.

“In 1937 we lived on Willoughby in Hollywood, one block from Clark Gable’s parents. I got Clark's autograph when he was sitting on the porch swing, and I still have it. We lived next to the old Hollywood cemetery near Paramount Studios and RKO Pictures, and Dad took me in on the Dagwood and Blondie set. I saw Gary Cooper standing on a corner waiting for somebody.”

“We moved to 1737 Frederic St. in Burbank in 1938, and Mom stayed there until 1962. Pat Brady's wife, Fayetta, was a redhead and really a nice lady. In 1938 I got a bicycle for Christmas in Burbank. I would ride a few blocks over to Fayetta’s house, and she would help me off by waiting out front of her house. Mom and Dad often would play cards with the Bradys. They lived by the railroad tracks in Burbank, and the Daylight came by at 70 mph and shook the house . . . it was too close. I remember some of Pat's expressions were “mustard and custard” . . . “some fun a kid.” I believe Pat lived on Brighton, which was two streets east of us and one block off of Buena Vista. Buena Vista is the street that Disney Studios is on only two miles south of our area where we lived.”
—Karl E. Farr

Ray Whitley told Gerald Vaughn that the Sons of the Pioneers provided instrumental backup in the musical western shorts that Whitley starred in at RKO. Some of the Pioneers did the soundtrack recordings for a number of George O'Brien, Tim Holt, and other features in which Whitley performed during 1938-1941. Examples of some of Whitley’s shorts that include readily recognizable Pioneers backup are: Rhythm Wranglers (1937), A Buckaroo Broadcast (1938), Prairie Papas (1938), Ranch House Romeo (1939), Sagebrush Serenade (1939), Cupid Rides the Range (1939), Molly Cures a Cowboy (1940), Corralling a School Marm (1940), Prairie Spooners (1941), The Musical Bandit (1941) and California or Bust (1940). Hugh and Karl were both seen and heard in the 1937 Tex Ritter feature Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen.

The Sons of the Pioneers’ association with Columbia lasted until July 1940, when the group departed for the Midwest after filing suit for alleged non-compensation for songs. They went on tour and traveled to Chicago to make the Orthacoustic radio transcriptions for NBC Radio and stayed until September 1941. While there, they performed regularly on Uncle Ezra’s National Barn Dance, a Chicago-based nationally broadcast country music show. They sent for their families.

May and Karl Farr

“I talked to my mom, and she said they were in Chicago for nine months, so the Pioneers must have made the movie parts or movies early and the movies were released later with the 1940-41 date. I stayed with my grandparents in Bakersfield, California, at that time. Hal (Spencer) asked me a while back if I knew where the Pioneers stayed in Chicago in 1940 and for some reason I knew it was the North Park Hotel. When the Pioneers were in Chicago at the North Park Hotel, Dad and Roy bowled a lot together.”
—Karl E. Farr

The Sons of the Pioneers returned to Los Angeles in September 1941 and joined the Camel Caravan for a tour of military bases on the West Coast. While they were in Seattle touring with the Caravan, they got word they should report to Republic Studios by October 23 to join Roy Rogers in the film Red River Valley, which was released December 12. The script was already written and some of the filming done before it was decided to use the Pioneers. Following the release of that movie, they appeared with Roy in nine more movies during 1942.

“When we lived in Burbank, I would ride my bicycle over to the Columbia Ranch on Hollywood Way to watch them shoot westerns and later at Republic Pictures. During the war, restrictions were on, and I had to go in with Dad. I spent a lot of time at Radio Recorders in Hollywood and was there when they recorded ‘Davy Crockett’.”

“My dad’s horse always wanted to be in front, so Dad had to hold him back from passing Trigger. Sometimes Richard Farnsworth doubled for Dad on fast runs.”
—Karl E. Farr

On November 22, 1941, the men also began a series of 15-minute transcriptions for the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company, featuring singing cowboy Dick Foran and pop singer Martha Mears. The first 15 minutes was broadcast coast-to-coast over the Mutual Broadcasting System, and it was followed by 45 minutes live on stage. Later in the series, Foran left and Mears took over the lead with the title of the show changing from “10-2-4 Ranch” to “10-2-4 Time.” The program lasted until the end of World War II. It cost $3,500 per week.

They began yet another series of radio programs every Saturday night called Radio Rodeo on the Mutual Network in December 1941. The programs were well-received, and the group reached an even wider listening audience. They also recorded for Decca between 1941 and 1942.

“I remember the Phillips Oil Show had an audience. Pat was the comic, but also Dad was fun. My dad did one number, ‘Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild Wild Women’ on stage with a worn-out hat and two pie lids. I still have them.”
—Karl E. Farr

The outbreak of World War II saw the Pioneers spending much of their time appearing at military bases. They knew it would be only a matter of time before some of them would leave for military service. The first to go was Lloyd Perryman, who left in April 1943 for the Asian theater and remained until January 1946. Pat Brady served much of his tour of duty in Patton’s Third Army in France and won citations for valor and two Purple Heart medals. Shug Fisher, upright bass player and comic, took Brady’s place in the Pioneers and the films during the war. The members who stayed home saw that Perryman and Brady continued to receive their share while they were in the service.

“Pat Brady was with Gen. Patton’s Third Army in Germany and was once in a newsreel. The top of his tank was blown off at close range just as he was bending over to pick up a shell. He has the Purple Heart. He slept in a dentist office in Germany and sent home all the drills, also a German officer’s uniform and about 30 guns. Anything he could get his hands on he sent home before the crackdown. When Pat was in the service, Fayetta carried a .25 automatic in her purse for protection. Lloyd was in Burma and got some kind of fever that he had to fight off every once in a while. My dad worked in a defense plant for a while to stay out of the war. The Pioneers toured the Army bases with the Camel Caravan.”
—Karl E. Farr

Although the older Pioneers’ draft status was 3A (hardship deferment) at this point, they did do much for the war effort at home, working to sell war bonds with Rogers. They became extremely popular with the servicemen and gave a lot of their time and energy entertaining them. Rogers’ shows for underprivileged children got a lot of notice, as well as his rounds of camps and base hospitals. Big morale boosters, Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers were quickly becoming heroes to young and old alike.

On November 21, 1944, the Roy Rogers Show went on the Mutual Network Tuesday evenings at 8:30 p.m. Sponsored by Goodyear Tires, Rogers’ show featured him and the Sons of the Pioneers in such fine western favorites as “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Cool Water,” and “Don’t Fence Me In.” Much of the show was campfire banter and song, with Rogers and songstress Pat Friday doing vocal solos, Perry Botkin leading the Goodyear orchestra, and Verne Smith announcing. Dramatic skits were offered, but the show leaned to lighter material than what was used in later years. Ultimately, it became primarily a western thriller show.

In addition to their busy radio and touring schedule, the Sons of the Pioneers continued their relationship with Republic Pictures, appearing in 18 movies from 1943 through 1945. Dale Warren related this story to Hugh McLennan:

“Ken Carson came in and took Lloyd's place during the war. They were on location. Ken was sitting down below the road, fooling around. Bob was standing up next to the stagecoach, and Karl was up on top of the stagecoach. Ken was fooling around with a little prank. He could take a little pebble and put it between his fingers and he'd flip it. He flipped that thing, and he hit Bob right on the back of the head with it. Bob had to turn around and when he turned around, he was looking right up at Karl. And Karl had this funny grin on his face. Bob says, “I'm gonna come there and get you!” Of course, you know Bob Nolan was a huge fellow and he started climbing up that stagecoach right at Karl. Karl had a prop guitar in his hands—not a real one, you know—a prop guitar. And as Bob was coming up, he took it and busted it over Bob's head. ‘Course it was made out of balsa wood and this hurt Bob, but Bob got tickled. He’d always get tickled, so he started laughing. Then Ken heaved a sigh of relief ‘cause he was the one that did it.”

Before the older Sons of the Pioneers could be called up for service, V-E Day [May 8, 1945] arrived, and the service stopped inducting anyone older than 30. Perryman returned in early January 1946, and Brady returned shortly afterward. Now the classic Sons of the Pioneers (Nolan, Spencer, Perryman, Brady, and the Farr brothers) were reunited.

The reunited Sons of the Pioneers were as busy as ever. From 1946 through 1948 they recorded 50 sides for RCA Records, recorded 162 transcription discs for Teleways Radio Productions, and toured extensively. The Teleways transcriptions featuring Nolan, Perryman, Carson, the Farr brothers, and Brady were made starting in 1947. Each recording began with “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” and Nolan as host would introduce the various numbers and give an occasional bit of history regarding the music. There was a lot of good-natured ribbing between Hugh, “Foghorn”, and Pat because Hugh would introduce his solos with long-winded made-up song titles. These transcriptions were syndicated across the country. Two commercial spots were arranged during the 15-minute program, with underscoring provided by Hugh and Karl's instrumentals or the Pioneers humming.

They also completed 19 more films for Republic Pictures before their contract with the studio was terminated in 1948.

“I was in Kernville once with Roy and the Pioneers on location, and Roy showed me a rope trick called the Mexican handcuff. When I was in Kernville on location that time, Roy drove his motorcycle up, and the studio was mad at him as he could get hurt. Bob floated down the Kern River on an inner tube, which was not great for the studio bosses to know about.”
—Karl E. Farr

Shortly after World War II, Roy Rogers, the Pioneers, and several other movie personalities bought 32,000 acres near Yucca Valley, California, intending to build a town, Pioneertown. In addition to building lots for homes, they planned to construct some movie locations. Western actor Russell Hayden held onto 90 acres, and some others continued to live there for many years, hoping their long-cherished dream of a thriving community might eventually come to pass. Eventually becoming a tourist attraction, in 2006 it was partially destroyed by wildfire.

“I was with one of the first trips to Pioneertown before the road was cut through from Yucca Valley. They were active there around 1947 to 1952. I also have some video from the area, which was transferred from 16mm film I shot.”
—Karl E. Farr

In 1948, Karl and May’s son, Karl E. Farr, married Pat Jennings, the daughter of a noted cinematographer.

“My wife's dad was a cameraman at Warners and worked on the first talkie in 1927. He also did The Alamo, Horse Soldiers and Rio Bravo with John Wayne. Other pictures he did were Mr. Roberts, The Old Man and the Sea, The Folsom Story, Dragnet, Cheyenne Autumn and more as he was there over 40 years. Lou Jennings was his name, and sometimes you see it on Dragnet, Chabasco the Movie, F-Troop. Lou went to Cuba in 1956 and started working on the movie then. The next year they went to Peru and finally caught a marlin 1,040 pounds—big enough for the movie. One of the [film] negatives is of Pat’s dad and [Ernest] Hemingway with the 1,040-pound blue marlin they caught off of Lima, Peru, in 1957 for the movie Old Man and the Sea with Spencer Tracy. We have the bill off the fish over our fireplace.

"At our wedding on November 7, 1948 in Burbank, Lloyd sang ‘I Love You Truly and ‘Because.’ Pat Brady and Fayetta, Lloyd and Buddy, my uncle Hugh and my dad and mom were there. Bob and Tim couldn't make it.

"We had three kids, two boys and one girl. The boys were born in 1951, January and December. Our daughter was born in 1955, and her name is Karla. The boys were Marshall and Mike. Marshall was killed June 28, 1976, taking down a CB antenna, and it hit a power line. He was the oldest and the one with music ability. He also fought in Vietnam."
—Karl E. Farr

“Here I am in Yosemite, taking pictures in 1947.”
—Karl E. Farr

“My dad and Tommy and I were archers together in Los Angeles. Our archery was roving or field archery at Griffith Park. I was a target archer before that with my wife, Pat, who was second in Southern California 1949. I used a bow in the late 1940s and Pat was second place in Southern California. Larry Hughes, who was national champion, worked with us. He did some of the archery work in the movies like Joan of Arc. . . . He did the shooting when people were shot with arrows. Around 1950 Dad and Roy did some archery together also at Griffith Park.”
—Karl E. Farr

In 1949 the Fender Guitar Corp. presented Karl Farr one of their earliest electric models, Telecaster No. 0757, in appreciation of all his support. It was quite a change from his early Miami box guitar.

The Sons of the Pioneers were no longer making movies for Republic, but they continued their radio, television, and live performances. Rex Allen signed them to be a part of his 1950 radio show, sponsored by Phillips Petroleum. Joining the Pioneers on the program were former Spade Cooley vocalist Jennie Jackson, fiddler Wade Ray, and accordionist Frankie Messina. The Pioneers remained with Rex until they began their own program, Lucky U Ranch, which was, in effect, a continuation of the Rex Allen show.

Left: the Farr Brothers “help” Rex into the pool. Right: Rex Allen on Koko.

The Lucky U Ranch radio show gang

Their many live performances included a sold-out show as the first western group to play at New York’s Carnegie Hall, appearances with Roy Rogers at Madison Square Garden, and several successful appearances in Las Vegas.

“These are the Pioneers with their white polyester uniforms used in Las Vegas at the Golden Nugget. The Golden Nugget is where they sometimes worked and is the place my wife and I met John Ford. My uncle Hugh is in most pictures up to 1958 when he left.”
—Karl E. Farr

During the 1950s the Sons of the Pioneers recorded and released several albums for RCA Victor and Coral Records. Ken Griffis asked Dale Warren about working with the Farr Brothers during those recordings:

KG: “With Hugh and Karl, on a single recording, did the trio have much of a say on how their backup would go, or did you just leave it up to them?”

DW: “More or less we left it up to them. We had to concentrate on our singing, so, as you suggest, we just more or less left it to their good taste. On occasion we might suggest a certain intro, a guitar run, or something like that, but those guys were so professional, we didn’t have to worry about what they might do.”

KG: “How aware was the trio of Hugh and Karl’s backup?”

DW: “Oh, very much aware. Both of them were so great, that they made our singing so much easier. Karl with his rhythm, and his notes kept us in pitch, and Hugh would lift you up in certain phrases. So, yes we were much aware of their support. However, they realized their responsibility was to support the trio, and they did one heck of a job in that regard. They were like an old glove; they just fit. Without question, they were the best of their time.”

Hugh Farr left the group in late 1958 in a dispute over ownership of the name “Sons of the Pioneers.” Karl remained with the group as they continued to perform and record, including one of their most successful albums ever, Cool Water.

“I think at one time or another most of the Pioneers had a small shot of running the group, like my dad 1958-61.”
—Karl E. Farr

In 1959 the group added George Bamby, accordionist. Bamby traveled with the group for about a year, appeared on the Cool Water and Tumbleweed Trail albums, and worked with them in the Disney movie, Swamp Fox. He left the group in May 1960 and soon fiddler Wade Ray was added, and he remained for over a year. Although he didn't sing in the trio, Ray did sing when an arrangement required a double trio, such as the RCA recording “Sierra Nevada.”

Karl, May, and son Karl, Jr., at Folsom Lake, California, 1960

Karl Farr’s untimely death in 1961 cast a pall over the Pioneers, who missed him both as a friend and a fellow musician. A news release announced the tragedy:

Wednesday September 20, 1961

Karl Farr, 52, an original member of the Sons of the Pioneers singing group, collapsed of a heart attack Wednesday night while performing at the Eastern States Exposition coliseum in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Mr. Farr died a few minutes later in Exposition Hospital. News of Mr. Farr’s death was kept from other members of the organization and the audience of 4,000. The show, starring Cliff Arquette, continued. Mr. Farr was removed from the Coliseum by Exposition police and treated at the Exposition Hospital. Dr. William M. Davis, who was on duty, injected adrenaline into Mr. Farr’s heart. The doctor later said that for all practical purposes, the entertainer was dead on arrival. Arrangements are being handled by Mr. Art Rush, business manager for the singers, who was with them at the Exposition.

New York Times, September 21, 1961
KARL FARR DIES AT 52
West Springfield, Mass. — Karl Farr, an original member of the Sons of the Pioneers, five-man singing group, died of a heart attack here today at the Eastern States Exposition. His age was 52. Mr. Farr was on stage before an audience of 4,000 persons that was watching a special show at the exposition’s Coliseum Building. He had completed a solo number on his guitar when he collapsed and was helped from the stage by his partners. The singers returned to finish the act, not realizing that Mr. Farr had died in the interim. He was born in Texas, but had lived for many years in Hollywood, Calif. The group appeared in many films and on television and radio with Roy Rogers, the cowboy star.
(Courtesy of Laurence Zwisohn)

Los Angeles Times, September 21, 1961
STRICKEN ON STAGE, SINGERS FOUNDER DIES
Karl Farr, 52, western singer and composer who founded the “Sons of the Pioneers” singing group with cowboy actor Roy Rogers 27 years ago, died of a heart attack Wednesday in Springfield, Mass. Farr was stricken while appearing in a musical at the Eastern States Exposition. He died 15 minutes after being carried from the stage by singer Lloyd Perryman and comedian Pat Brady. As part of the five-member singing group he appeared in 50 motion pictures, and on television and radio.
(Courtesy of Laurence Zwisohn)

Tommy Doss recalls the shock: “Karl was doing a solo, Up a Lazy River, on his old acoustic Martin guitar when a string broke. This noticeably upset him, and as he worked with the string he suddenly slumped over, suffering a heart attack. Dale Warren and I carried him backstage. It was a terrible shock to all of us.”

“Dad had an enlarged heart and did not realize how bad it was.”
—Karl E. Farr

Awards began to come in, all posthumously, for Karl Farr. First was The Meritorious Service Award for “service to their fellow troops and allies for performances above and beyond the call of duty,” by Gen. William Westmoreland for performances for servicemen in Vietnam. In 1970, the Vocal Group of the Year was awarded to the Sons of the Pioneers by Academy of Country Music. In 1995, Karl Farr was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Karl E. Farr accepted his father's award from Ernest Borgnine.

During that time Karl’s work with the Sons of the Pioneers was also reflected in the numerous awards accorded to the group as a whole: the Wrangler’s Award from the Cowboy Hall of Fame “for thirty-eight years of outstanding entertainment as the West’s first great singing group”; a tribute and Sons of the Pioneer Day in Los Angeles; a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; Band of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music; and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, to name just a few.

In 1978 the Farr brothers’ musical legacy was celebrated by this LP released by the John Edwards Memorial Foundation (JEMF), a Los Angeles-based non-profit dedicated to American traditional music. It included instrumentals from the Standard Radio transcriptions of 1934-35 plus the Orthacoustic radio transcription recordings of 1940. A well-written booklet on the Farr brothers accompanied the album.

On April 2, 2007, May Farr celebrated her 97th birthday. She passed away November 13.

Karl E. Farr (son of Karl Farr of the Sons of the Pioneers) passed away on December 4, 2013, from a stroke and liver complications from too many blood transfusions. Karl will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Karl E. and Pat Farr’s wedding anniversary, November 7, 1948-2008