Woody Paul

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.

Woody Paul
Chrisman performing at the Poncan Theater in 2008
Chrisman performing at the Poncan Theater in 2008
Background information
Birth namePaul Woodrow Chrisman
Also known asWoody Paul
Born (1949-08-23) August 23, 1949
Nashville, Tennessee
GenresWestern swing
Occupation(s)Composer, vocalist
Instrument(s)Vocals, violin
Websitewww.ridersinthesky.com

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 2023, 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
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Showdown At The Hoedown Himself PBS Documentary
1982 Twilight Theater Woody Paul Member of Riders In The Sky
1983-1985 Tumbleweed Theater Woody Paul and other characters
1989 Hee Haw Woody Paul Member of Riders In The Sky

Season 22, episode 5

1990 Christmas The Cowboy Way Woody Paul TV special
1991 Riders in the Sky Woody Paul 13 episodes
1993 A Riders In The Sky Christmas Woody Paul TV special
1995-1996 Riders Radio Theater: The Television Show Woody Paul and other characters Four Episodes
1996 America's Music: The Roots of Country Himself/Woody Paul Member of Riders In The Sky
1998 Barney & Friends Woody Paul Member of Riders In The Sky

Episode: "Howdy, Friends!"

2003 Duck Dodgers Saloon Robot (Voice) Member of Riders In The Sky

Episode: "The Wrath of Canasta"

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1985 Sweet Dreams Member of The Jordanaires Credited as "Opry Band"
1985 Wild Horses Woody Paul Member of Riders In The Sky
1999 Toy Story 2 Member of Riders In The Sky

Performer: "Woody's Round-Up"

2003 Country Music: The Spirit of America Woody Paul Member of Riders In The Sky
2006 Stanley's Dinosaur Round-Up Woody Paul (Voice) Member of Riders In The Sky
2015 The Cartoon Cowboys Woody Paul (Voice)
2015 Music City U.S.A. Himself/Woody Paul Member of Riders In The Sky

References
  1. Woody Paul at the National Fiddler Hall of Fame; retrieved December 20, 2020
  2. Cusic, Don. (2003). "It's the Cowboy Way". Lexington, KY. University Press of Kentucky Press. ISBN 0-8131-2284-8.
  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


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