Douglas B. Green
A musician who, as 'Ranger Doug', became a charismatic guardian of Western music, preserving its traditions with scholarly care and showman's flair.
Born 1946 (age 80)·Musical artist·Birthday: March 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Douglas B. Green didn't just play Western music; he became one of its most articulate archivists and evangelists. With his group Riders in the Sky, formed in 1977, he revived the smooth, harmony-rich sound of singing cowboy acts like the Sons of the Pioneers for new generations. On stage as Ranger Doug, he is the droll, smooth-voiced master of ceremonies, clad in Nudie suits, offering a blend of authentic cowboy songs, original compositions, and wholesome comedy. Offstage, Green is a serious historian of the genre, writing award-winning songs and scholarly articles that treat Western music with the respect of folk art. His work has ensured that the music of the American West is not a museum piece but a living, breathing tradition, celebrated on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and in concert halls worldwide, all delivered with a wink and a flawless yodel.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Douglas was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Douglas Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Douglas's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry as part of Riders in the Sky in 1982.
- Won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children for 'Woody's Roundup' featuring Riders in the Sky.
- Authored the book 'Singing in the Saddle', a historical analysis of the singing cowboy.
- Received the Western Music Association's Male Performer of the Year award multiple times.
Did You Know?
He holds a degree in history from Vanderbilt University.
Before Riders in the Sky, he was a member of the folk group The Charlatans.
He is also a member of the Western swing supergroup The Time Jumpers.
The group Riders in the Sky has performed over 7,000 shows and released dozens of albums.
“We're not a parody. We're not a satire. We're a continuation.”
