The OC Roundup: Singing Cowponies · 12:40am Jul 31st, 2019
A great big cowpony howdy, friends!
In my previous blog post, I explained that I would be writing posts dedicated to my OC's. Since most of them have only minor appearances and are featured in one story, I thought it best to group them together in posts for each story. Now, time to move 'em on and head 'em up!
In this post, we'll ride up the music trail and discuss Equestria's favorite singing cowponies.
First up is Saddle Song. The Singing Cowpony was inspired by the singing cowboys of the 1930s and 1940s, mainly Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, two of Hollywood's biggest western stars. Saddle Song's rise to fame loosely parallels that of Autry's, and his leading the Foals of the Frontier band is not unlike Rogers' fronting the Sons of the Pioneers. Saddle Song's origins can be read in "The Singing Cowpony" and "Rarity and the Fabulous Frontier." He is one of just a few of my OC's to both appear in more than one story and have a major/supporting role.
Every singing cowpony needs a loyal friend and sidekick, and for Saddle Song, that is Gray. Though I originally named him Gray, I've found myself writing his name as Donkey Gray. His name says it all: he is a donkey and he has a gray coat. He is inspired by the singing cowboy sidekicks, particularly Smiley Burnette and Gabby Hayes. He is Saddle Song's best friend and the band's bunkhouse bass player. When Saddle Song left Dodge Junction for Manehattan, Gray was right there by his side. Like Saddle Song, he is just a few of my OC's to appear in multiple stories and have a major/supporting role.
The Foals of the Frontier are inspired by the Sons of the Pioneers. They were a popular band in Applewood, making regular appearances on Yippie-Yi Yokel's FIM Radio show. Soon after Saddle Song and Gray came to Applewood, they became the Singing Cowpony's band.
Troubadour is Dodge Junction's town balladeer. He is Saddle Song's mentor, teaching him to sing and play guitar. He is inspired by cowboy balladeer Don Edwards who had referred to himself as "the last of the troubadours."
Silver Sage is an Applewood director who offers Saddle Song and Gray a role in his new picture, The Pride of the San Palomino, starring the famous cowpony actor, Roo Buckaroo. This parallels Gene Autry's getting his first starring role, In Old Santa Fe (1934), which actually wasn't the basis for The Pride of the San Palomino. Silver Sage is based on John Ford, a Hollywood director known for filming Westerns. In Old Santa Fe was not one of his films.
Roo Buckaroo is based on cowboy actor Ken Maynard in the sense that it was in his film that Saddle Song got his first starring role, and cowboy actor Charles Starrett in that he didn't sing, but featured the Foals of the Frontier (The Sons of the Pioneers) as the singing force of his films.
Yippie-Yi Yokel is the host of his own FIM Radio show in Applewood. He invited Saddle Song and Gray onto his show after their appearance in Roo Buckaroo's film. Though he isn't based on anyone, I did model his appearance (buckteeth and freckles) on Howdy Doody.
