Calgary Range Riders

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Origin: Calgary, Alberta, 🇨🇦
Biography:

The Calgary Range Riders were a pioneering western band based in Calgary, Alberta, founded in 1947 by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dixie Bill Hilton (born William Dixon Hilton, October 25, 1920, Saskatchewan – February 1, 1991). Formed shortly after Hilton’s discharge from the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Range Riders became one of Alberta’s most popular postwar country and western outfits, performing across the Prairies and on radio broadcasts that helped define the sound of Canadian cowboy music in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The group’s confirmed lineup—documented through contemporary sources and verified autographed material—included Dixie Bill Hilton: lead vocals, Al “Curly” Koochin: guitar, Tony Stoltz: accordion, Buddy Reynolds, Murray Lee: bass, Don “Smily” Thompson: steel guitars, and Freddie Lang. This ensemble represented the band at its peak, combining Hilton’s smooth vocal delivery and original compositions with Koochin’s crisp guitar work, Stoltz’s lively accordion, Thompson’s fluid steel, and Lang’s versatile playing. Their sound balanced traditional western swing with radio-friendly country harmonies, making them fixtures at Calgary Stampede-era venues and regional jamborees.

The Range Riders recorded for both Aragon Records in Vancouver and Apex Records in Toronto. Their Aragon debut (catalog 201) paired “Don’t Be Blue, Linda Lou” with “Calgary Waltz,” followed by “Orange Blossom Special” / “Too Old to Be Young Anymore.” On Apex, they issued “Thousand Miles at Sea” / “Careless Ways” and “Reward” / “Midnight Waltz.” Hilton wrote most of the group’s material and claimed to have composed over two hundred songs, many inspired by prairie life and maritime imagery from his years stationed on Canada’s coasts.

While the autographed lineup represents the core unit, other musicians were occasionally part of the ensemble or joined for recording and touring duties. Sources mention Lucky Ambeault (fiddle), Ivan Reynolds, and at times Murray Lee Dunlop (a fuller name for bassist Murray Lee) as contributing members. These variations likely reflect shifting personnel through the group’s active years, typical of Canadian western bands working multiple regional circuits and broadcast engagements.

By 1953, Hilton and the Range Riders had gained national exposure through CFOR Orillia’s “Radio Jamboree,” a Saturday-night Dominion Network program that aired portions of their performances across Canada. Around this time the group disbanded, though Hilton continued working in radio and songwriting before retiring from performance in the 1960s.

The Calgary Range Riders remain emblematic of Alberta’s early country tradition—bridging rural dance-hall roots with the emerging postwar recording industry—and stand among the first organized western groups to record original Canadian material under their own name.
-Robert Williston

Dixie Bill Hilton: lead vocals
Al Curly Koochin: guitar
Tony Stoltz: accordion
Buddy Reynolds
Murray Lee: bass
Don "Smily" Thompson: steel guitars
Freddie Lang