Woody Paul Explained

Woody Paul
Background:solo_singer
Birth Name:Paul Woodrow Chrisman
Alias:Woody Paul
Birth Date:23 August 1949
Birth Place:Nashville, Tennessee
Genre:Western swing
Occupation:Composer, vocalist
Instrument:Vocals, Fiddle
Years Active:1976–present
Associated Acts:Riders in the Sky

Paul Woodrow Chrisman (born August 23, 1949), better known by his stage name Woody Paul, is an American singer, fiddler, and composer, best known for his work with the Western swing musical and comedy group Riders in the Sky. With the Riders, he is billed as "Woody Paul — King of the Cowboy Fiddlers". He was inducted into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame[1] in 2012 and is "known in the music industry for being proficient and innovative across many musical genres including western, jazz, bluegrass, old-time, and Celtic."[1] He has won two Grammy Awards with his band.

Biography

Early life

Chrisman began playing fiddle when he was 11 years old. He played with Sam McGee and others regularly at the Grand Ole Opry in the mid-sixties. He is also extremely adept at lariat tricks. He attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and has a Ph.D. in theoretical plasma physics from MIT, where he wrote his thesis, "Inertial, Viscous, and Finite-Beta Effects in a Resistive, Time Dependent Tokamak Discharge", Thesis Nuc. Eng. 1976, PhD, supervised by James E. McCune. He returned to Nashville and began playing recording sessions and recorded and toured with Loggins & Messina.[2] [3]

Riders In The Sky

In 1978, Chrisman approached the Riders (then consisting of just Douglas B. Green and Fred LaBour) backstage after a show and inquired about joining the group. Shortly before Chrisman approached the Riders, Williams "Bill" Collins had just left the group, so Green and LaBour were already looking for a replacement member, and Chrisman seemed like the perfect fit. Chrisman's first show with the Riders was at the 1978 Kentucky State Fair. As of 2024, Chrisman is still with the Riders.

Songwriting

Prior to joining the Riders, Chrisman had already written "Blue Bonnet Lady" and "Cowboy Song" (both of which would be featured on the Riders' first album, Three on the Trail). Chrisman also wrote "So Long, Saddle Pals", what many would consider the Riders' equivalent of "Happy Trails".

Notable filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1977Showdown At The HoedownHimselfPBS Documentary
1982Twilight TheaterWoody PaulMember of Riders In The Sky
1983-1985Tumbleweed TheaterWoody Paul and other characters
1989Hee HawWoody PaulMember of Riders In The SkySeason 22, episode 5
1990Christmas The Cowboy WayWoody PaulTV special
1991Riders in the SkyWoody Paul13 episodes
1993A Riders In The Sky ChristmasWoody PaulTV special
1995-1996Riders Radio Theater: The Television ShowWoody Paul and other charactersFour Episodes
1996Himself/Woody PaulMember of Riders In The Sky
1998Barney & FriendsWoody PaulMember of Riders In The SkyEpisode: "Howdy, Friends!"
2003Duck DodgersSaloon Robot (Voice)Member of Riders In The SkyEpisode: "The Wrath of Canasta"

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985Sweet DreamsMember of The JordanairesCredited as "Opry Band"
1985Wild HorsesWoody PaulMember of Riders In The Sky
1999Toy Story 2Member of Riders In The SkyPerformer: "Woody's Round-Up"
2003Woody PaulMember of Riders In The Sky
2006Stanley's Dinosaur Round-UpWoody Paul (Voice)Member of Riders In The Sky
2015The Cartoon CowboysWoody Paul (Voice)
2015Music City U.S.A.Himself/Woody PaulMember of Riders In The Sky

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.nationalfiddlerhalloffame.org/HallOfFame/woodypaulbio.html Woody Paul
  2. Cusic, Don. (2003). "It's the Cowboy Way". Lexington, KY. University Press of Kentucky Press. .
  3. Inertial, Viscous, and Finite-Beta Effects in a Resistive, Time Dependent Tokamak Discharge, Thesis Nuc. Eng 1976 PhD, Paul Chrisman, MIT, Supervised by James E. McCune