Stanley Davis "Stan" Jones was songwriter, actor, and singer, who worked for Disney in various film and television productions.
Jones was in Douglas, Arizona and was the youngest of seven children. He grew up on a ranch belonging to his parents, John Jones and Berta Davis. His parents had come from the southeastern US, and after a few years in Texas, then a brief spell in Mexico, where Stan's closest sibling Jeanne was born, they settled in Arizona. Stan's father originally owned a small grocery store, then later worked as a shipping clerk. When his father died, his mother moved the family to Los Angeles, California. Jones attended UC Berekley in the early thirties, riding the rodeo circuit during breaks for living expenses. He dropped out in 1934 to join the United States Navy. After his discharge, he worked at many jobs, such as a copper miner, a fire fighter, logger, and a park ranger. During World War II, he worked as a field director for the American Red Cross in Bend, Oregon where met his wife Olive, a schoolteacher.
In his free time, Jones wrote songs, such as "Saddle Up", "Lilies Grow High", "I Left My Love", "In the Shadows of My Heart", "Hannah Lee", "So Much To Me", "My Gal Is Purple", "Footsore Cavalry", "Yellow Stripes", "Wagons West", "Shadows in the Dust, "Cowpoke", and "Ghost Riders in the Sky", which would become his most famous composition which would recorded by various artists, including Gene Autry, Burl Ives, and Johnny Cash.
His introduction to Hollywood came in 1948 as a technical advisor for The Walking Hills and 3 Godfathers. Aside from writing songs for Western pictures, Jones appeared in cameo or supporting roles in films, such as The Searchers, Rio Grande, The Marshal's Daughter, The Last Musketeer, Whirlwind, Wagon Master, The Horse Soldiers, and Invitation to a Gunfighter. In television, he co-wrote the theme song to Cheyenne with Disney alumnus William Lava and created and starred as Deputy Harry Olson in The Sheriff of Cochise. Many of Jones' songs were published through the ASCAP, but he formed two music companies during his lifetime, Stanley Music Company and Stanley Mills Ranger Music Company, to publish more of his work. He released three music albums during his lifetime through the Disneyland label which were Creakin' Leather, later rereleased as Ghost Riders in the Sky, on the Buena Vista label. The others being Walt Disney Presents Songs Of The National Parks and This Was the West.
Jones married twice. He had a daughter with his first wife, but later gave up all parental rights. His second marriage produced one son. He died from cancer in Los Angeles and was buried at Calvary Memorial Park in his hometown of Douglas, Arizona.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Roles/Positions |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Mickey Mouse Club | Counselor Frank ("Spin and Marty") |
| 1956 | Westward Ho, the Wagons! | Songwriter: "Wringle Wrangle" |
| The Great Locomotive Chase | Wilson Brown Songwriter: "Sons of Aunt Delilah" | |
| 1958-1961 | Texas John Slaughter | Songwriter: "Texas John Slaughter Theme" |
| 1958-1960 | The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca | Singer: "The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca (theme)" |
| 1960 | Ten Who Dared | Seneca Howland Songwriter: "Jolly Rovers" "Roll Along" |
| 1961 | Daniel Boone | Doc Slocum |
Role
(Spin and Marty)
Gallery
