*Links to External Site
This site is a research initiative undertaken by kin of Roy Leon Parks and has been peer-reviewed by Dr. Kip Lornell.
Dedicated to all the families of these Americana culture originators.
This is a nonprofit educational site dedicated to preserving the musical and cultural contributions of The Skyline Boys. Works-cited materials and private physical collection items convey. Research and collection items have been digitally preserved, archived, and aggregated by the domain owner since 2023. The objective is to highlight The Skyline Boys' historical record, primarily from the 1940s to the 1950s. Please cite this website for projects.
WCHA 1950 Calendar
L-R: Bill Bailey, Alan Roberts, Roy Parks, Hank Silby,
Tex Ritter, Bud Messner, Dude Webb
Source: Private Collection
The Skyline Boys were folk musicians of the 1940s-1950s. The founding members were largely from VA, but the group was based out of and is recognized as being from Chambersburg, PA. Their reach expanded nationally through relentless touring and radio performance broadcasting. Many players cycled through the band over the years, either covering for shows or collaborating on music. The story of the people who started the group and participated was not well-documented, which is the premise for this site.
The Skyline Boys are remembered as Bud Messner’s musical crew and as a touring troupe for Hollywood actor Tex Ritter. Tex and Bud co-owned a record shop in Chambersburg, PA, and Bud Messner’s WCHA radio broadcasts attracted much talent from the early country circuit. Over the lifespan of The Skyline Boys, they played with many household names, such as Sunset “Kit” Carson, Roy Acuff, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Minnie Pearl, Tim Holt, Cowboy Copas, Little Jimmy Dickens, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Grandpa Jones, Hank Snow, Hank Williams, The Carter Family, Pete Cassel, Joe Maphis, and more. They featured at the Grand Ole Opry and played the great theatres and state fairs of the U.S. and Canada.
In modern terms, we would consider them a one-hit wonder. They had one Billboard Country Top 100 hit, Slippin’ Around With Jole Blon (1950). With about 160,000 copies sold, that would be a Platinum Record by today’s standards. They were among a much smaller community of musicians than the world we live in today. With the backdrop of the Great Depression and WWII during their formative years, these players had a tough go. Musicians of their era did not have the internet or mobile communication. They didn’t have sophisticated audio tech. To be a band that backed the heroes of Hollywood Westerns, touring upwards of 300+ days per year in the 1940s-1950s, isn’t a small feat.
Bud Messner and The Skyline Boys wrote and released gramophones (78s) on labels such as Majestic, Banner, Quality, Abbey, Skyline Records, with later releases, “Country Mountain Church” (12″) and the Cattle Records (12″) release. They were the age group between the early folk material from AP Carter and Lesley Riddle in the 1920s, and the rise of Johnny Cash in the mid-1950s. They would have grown up hearing earlier folk music, but were also old enough to have seen the start of rock ‘ n ‘ roll. They came from humble beginnings and were able to find a place in music through their perseverance during difficult times in history. Their musicianship is the kind that inspires modern country music.
Please see the various sections of the site for details about the group and the project.
Bud Messner & The/His Skyline Boys
L-R: Bud Messner, Roy Parks,
Dude Webb, Bill Bailey, Slim Roberts
On-Tour, est. 1948-1950
Source: Private Collection
Bud Messner & The/His Skyline Boys
Wall Hanger, est. 1949-1950
Source: Private Collection
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