My thanks to Leo Pando, author of The Illustrated History of Trigger”, for sending me the following information.
MICHAEL LANG, the brains behind the iconic 1969 music festival Woodstock, has revealed that TV and film cowboy ROY ROGERS turned down the chance to end the three-day event. Last night…Lang told an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences panel discussion about the festival movie–also called Woodstock, he wanted Rogers to croon HAPPY TRAILS after JIMI HENDRI’s headlining appearance. He said, “I had this inner dream. I grew up listening to Roy Rogers sing Happy Trails on the radio and I thought, ‘What a perfect way to end the show.’ He was the only artist who turned us down. He didn’t get it at all.”
Source: Contactmusic.com
That last sentence says it all! I’m sure that Dad didn’t get it!!!
By the way, Leo is revising his book on Trigger. The revised edition will have quite a bit more information and a lot more pictures! Be sure to check this website for a release date.
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Looking back it would of been sweet and just the ticket. “Dads” at that time didn’t seem get it and understandable. I was thrilled at the time and if he would of ended the show it would of been the biggest WOW to me. I was such a fan of his as so many (I believe) in the audience were as well. You just blew my mind with happy posting the very thought of this.
Two of the greatest guitar players ever !! That would have been so cool. Five minutes with Roy would have been very healthy for Jimi, to be around that kind of goodness.
Can’t wait for that book on Trigger! He’s on my Roy calendar this month!
Well at least they used at the Great Winter Olympics in Utah.
I can’t remember ever having a day off school. However, my mam managed to get tickets for her, me (10 years old at the time) and my younger brother Roy (8) to take us to the Empire Theater in Liverpool England to see the Roy Rodgers Show. That would have been about 1956. The Headmaster was reluctant to give us the afternoon off but mam had already bought the tickets, although in retrospect, I don’t know how she managed to pay for them. It was a great show in a packed theater of kids . Of course Trigger was there also.
When we broke up at the end of the year, the headmaster announced that children would not be allowed to take aftenoons off ever again. I think he was jealous that we were amongst the relative few to see Roy and Trigger perform live on the stage .