The mining community of Webb City, Missouri was the birthplace of Vernon “Tim” Spencer, born to Edgar Ephriam and Laura Alice Spencer, on July 13, 1908.
The Spencer family was large, with Roy, Lily, Ray C., Forbes, Leo, Glenn, Beaunice, and Oceola preceding Tim, followed by Kenneth, Dean, and Eva. To supplement his income as a mining engineer, Tim’s father, who came from Illinois, played his fiddle at various dances and social events. For a time he was associated with the Webb City Symphony and whenever possible Tim would attend the events, finding music much to his liking. In the Webb City Methodist Church Tim made his musical ‘debut’ at the early age of three and soon joined his brothers in singing at church socials and civic events. Brother Glenn played the piano and violin and had a fine singing voice. It was during these early years that Tim discovered the enjoyment of entertaining.

When Tim was about five, his father moved the family to New Mexico, settling near Springer, where they homesteaded a section of land in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Life in early New Mexico was a new experience for young Tim, finding the open, flat prairie land such a change from his birthplace. At the end of six months, which was the requirement for homesteading, the family returned to Webb City where his father worked for the Eagle-Pitcher Mining Company for a short period of time before once again returning to their homestead. From the years spent in New Mexico Tim acquired a long, enduring feeling for that pioneer country. His love and admiration of the grandeur of this wild and lonesome land is felt in some of his compositions, written years later. As young Tim rode the back trails with his father, visions arose of by-gone days which one can feel in the haunting refrain of his song "Silent Trails."

Leaving the older boys to prove up on the property the family journeyed
back to Oklahoma, settling in the small community of Pitcher. While attending
school there Tim took the lead in the class operetta, "Gypsy Rover." With
seventeen songs to remember and a cast of over one-hundred, Tim launched his
“musical career." When he was thirteen and without the prior approval of his father, Tim purchased a banjo ukulele on credit, but since the family had more pressing needs for money his father insisted he return the instrument. Feeling his father’s attitude unreasonable, Tim left home, ending up at the famed Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas where he worked as a helper in the restaurant. Serving coffee at the counter a few days later, he looked up to see the smiling face of his father who had come looking for him. His father asked if he was ready to come back home. Being terribly homesick and glad to see his dad, Tim said, "Let’s go."

Completing his schooling, Tim found work in the mines that doffed the area
around Pitcher. Not too long after he began his job an accident occurred that could have only been a blessing in disguise. An ore car overturned and Tim landed in the hospital with a cracked vertebra. Unable to return to work, Tim arranged to play his banjo and sing in a night spot, the Bucket of Blood. Displaying considerable talent he earned $9.00 in tips on his first night. Despite the urging of his father for him to return to the mines, Tim found the "mining" of this silver more rewarding and profitable, and he never returned to his former job.

Western movies had long held a particular fascination for Tim. He readily
recalled his trips to Tulsa and Kansas City to see stage personalities and his
western movie heroes Tom Mix, William S. Hart, and Hoot Gibson. Gene Autry was his first musical idol. The impact of these artists was so great he felt compelled to make a move to California to see if there wasn’t a need for his "unique" talents, which he did in 1931.

Arriving at the home of brother Glenn, Tim’s first concern was finding a
job, and he soon found work in the shipping department of Safeway’s big warehouse. His evenings and weekends were spent making the rounds of all the "country" radio shows and dances, getting acquainted with anyone even remotely connected with the music. He learned the names of all the local groups and individual performers. The trio that sang with the Rocky Mountaineers not only sounded better than the rest, they also featured a fair amount of music which Tim thought sounded different from what was being played. He learned from an ad in the newspaper that the Mountaineers were looking for a baritone who could yodel. Tim said, "I wasn’t a baritone, and I had never yodeled but I found out that I could, so I applied and was hired as a replacement for Bob Nolan, joining Leonard SIye and "Slumber" Nichols in the trio." This association lasted from August to December 1932. Leaving the Mountaineers, the trio soon joined Benny Nawahi in forming the International Cowboys. Within a few months the fellows took leave of Nawahi and began an ill-fated trip through the Southwest using the name O-Bar-O Cowboys, ending up in Texas. From Tim’s standpoint the only positive result of the trip was that he met, courted, and in 1934 married Velma Blanton of Lubbock, Texas.

But it was a despondent trio that returned to Los Angeles in late August of 1933. Tim called the return trip the low point in his career. He felt the trio of himself, SIye, and Nichols was better than any he had ever heard, and he just couldn’t understand why they had not been more successful. Nevertheless, eating was an important habit, so it was back to his old job with the Safeway Stores. Tim recalled, with a big grin, how pleased he was when Leonard Slye came by not long after their return, with a suggestion that they try the trio once again. Slye always owned a car, so the two of them drove over to the BeI Air Country Club to talk with Bob Nolan who was working there as a caddie. It took considerable urging to convince Nolan that there could be a future with the fellows but as Tim recalled "I talked him into it.” The trio located meager housing in Hollywood where they spent many exhausting hours in preparation for their debut. They agreed a western theme was the most promising course to follow, using as a general format the impressive songs that Nolan had composed over the past few years. Calling themselves the Pioneer Trio and through Len’s association with Jack LeFevre and His Texas Outlaws, in late 1933, the fellows began their long journey back from the depths. When KFWB added the trio to staff, the demand on their voices was greatly increased. The decision was made to add a fiddler for support, and the choice was unanimous, it had to be Hugh Farr. Following an appearance at the Texas Centennial in 1936, Tim took leave of the group due to “a difference of opinion.” During Tim’s absence SIye had left for Republic Studios and the talented Lloyd Perryman had become a part of the trio. Upon Tim’s return to the group in late 1938, he took over the much more comfortable lead spot, and Pat Brady also had been added by this time.

Tim commented that he had written no music prior to joining the Pioneers. His first song, ‘Will You Love Me When My Hair Has Turned To Silver’ was written in 1934, and dedicated to his new wife Velma. Spencer’s second, and one of his most remarkable compositions, ‘Over the Santa Fe Trail," clearly demonstrated the depth of his songwriting skills. He made a point of stating that "The Everlasting Hills of Oklahoma" is the one song he took the greatest amount of pride in. Within a couple of years after the Pioneers had signed with RCA Victor, his voice began to trouble him so he sang less and less in the trio. In early 1949 he retired from active work and helped find his replacement, Ken Curtis. He continued to manage the Sons of the Pioneers through 1952, and assisted with their recording sessions through 1957. Tim spoke openly of his great admiration for his old friend Roy Rogers and stated that the Pioneers owed so much to Roy for his help and support. The Rogers and Spencer families remained close over the years. He expressed his strong admiration for Bob, Nolan stating that ‘Nolan was the greatest composer of our music who ever lived."

After leaving the group, most of Tim’s efforts were directed toward his gospel publishing business, Manna Music. The firm obtained the publishing rights to one of the great religious songs of the century, ‘How Great Thou Art,’ which the Pioneers were to record so impressively. After Tim’s illness in 1970 his son Hal assumed direction of Manna Music, and Vernon "Tim’ Spencer died April 26, 1974 at his home in Apple Valley, California. His contribution to the ultimate success of the Sons of the Pioneers cannot be measured in mere words alone.

To Read the Complete Biography Click Here to Purchase the Only Authorized Biography of The Sons of the Pioneers, “Hear My Song” from the Pioneer Mercantile

Copyright The Sons of the Pioneers