Hayden Nicholas, best known as the songwriting and guitar sidekick of singer Clint Black, relives the serendipitous moment when a childhood dream came true in an exclusive interview dropping below.
Nicholas’ buddy had recorded “Hold on Partner,” a jaunty country duet, with none other than the quintessential King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers, in early 1991. A subsequent trip to the prestigious Academy of Country Music awards in Los Angeles with his mother in tow led to a fascinating conversation between Rogers and Nicholas, heretofore kept a tantalizing secret.
In his heyday of the ’40s and ’50s, Rogers was a ubiquitous pop culture presence. A founding member of country and western purveyors the Sons of the Pioneers, Rogers demonstrated his pleasing tenor voice, dexterous yodel, and rhythm guitar skills on a slew of cowboy standards including “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “Don’t Fence Me In” before venturing into acting.
The genial troubadour was a natural in front of the camera, soon rising to lead roles in B-Westerns, significant box office clout, and public appearances met with impassioned screams from youngsters dressed in cowboy regalia. Gene Autry, initially the upstart’s rival, was soundly trounced in the aftermath of World War II.
Rogers transitioned seamlessly into primitive television with an eponymous series costarring Trigger, perhaps the most intelligent horse of all time, and his lovely wife, singer Dale Evans, responsible for penning the iconic “Happy Trails” as the couple’s theme song.
A marketing genius who would have been right at home in modern times, Rogers ultimately acquired the rights to his films and series. His likeness appeared on best-selling comics, cook books, lunch boxes, trading cards, apparel…you name it. He conquered every medium and then some.
The deeply religious individual was an elder statesman approaching his eighth decade as the ’90s commenced. Turning up occasionally at galas and charity events, Rogers was content to retire gracefully until producer Kyle Lehning tracked him down for a duet with Randy Travis. The baritone-voiced balladeer was traditional country music’s hottest commodity at the time, and he had decided to record his next…
