Songwriter, Actor. He wrote the 1949 classic western song "Ghost Riders in the Sky." Before "Ghost Riders", Jones worked in a copper mine, fought forest fires and was a national park ranger in Death Valley. It was in Death Valley that Jones first met the famous director John Ford during the 1948 remake of "3 Godfathers". A year later "Ghost Riders" was released, and Jones was in Hollywood visiting his friend, actor George O'Brien. O'Brien and fellow actor Harry Carey Jr. arranged a meeting with Ford. This led to a lasting friendship between the feisty director and the gentlemanly Jones. Jones soon introduced the Sons of the Pioneers to Ford, who would use them in many of his westerns. One of the Sons of the Pioneers later married Ford's daughter and became a well-known actor. His name was Ken Curtis. Jones wrote songs for Ford's "Rio Grande", "The Searchers" and "Wagon Master", also appearing in all three films. Jones later wrote the theme song for the western television series "Cheyenne." Disney often turned to Jones to write western-themed songs for his television series "Disney's Wonderful World of Color", including "The Great Locomotive Chase". Jones, in addition to songwriting and singing, played other film roles including General Grant in Ford's "The Horse Soldiers" (1959). During his career, Jones wrote over 200 songs. 100 of the songs were released. In 1997 Jones was inducted in the Western Music Hall of Fame. Though no matter how famous or successful Jones became, he never lost his down to earth outlook, nor forgot the support and encouragement he received from his wife Olive. His death was too soon and left too many songs unwritten. It has been said that "Stan Jones was to western music, what Charlie Russell was to western painting." There will never be another Stan Jones. Jones is buried at the Julia Page Memorial Park in Douglas, Arizona.