The Sons of the San Joaquin

In August, 1988, a number of retired members of the Sons of the Pioneers met with friends and fans in Las Vegas for a musical get-together. The Western Music Assn. was formed at that gathering. While there, Doc Denning, a former member of the Pioneers, introduced his young friend, Lon Hannah, to the audience. Lon sang a couple of songs and was warmly received. Shortly afterwards, Lon and his dad Joe, and uncle Jack sang at the Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering. The large Elko crowds there gave them such an enthusiastic reception that they began performing as a trio on a more regular basis. They came from the San Joaquin Valley of Calif., so they chose the name, The Sons of the San Joaquin.

All three Hannahs grew up listening to Sons of the Pioneers music at home. When Doc Denning helped them set up their first recording session, they chose some of their favorite Pioneers songs, most of which had only been available on transcriptions and were not widely known. Soon, Jack discovered that he had a talent for songwriting, so their second CD contained both vintage Western music and Jack’s new songs. His “Great American Cowboy” became the CD’s title song.

As their fan base grew, it wasn’t long before Michael Martin Murphey arranged for the new Warner Western record label to add the Sons to their new roster of contemporary Western musicians. This provided an opportunity for fans across the country to become acquainted with their music. The widespread availability of their CDs, their national TV appearances, personal appearances as far away as The World Trade Center in New York, and later, Carnegie Hall, plus tours overseas for the US State Dept., put them firmly on the map as one of the foremost active Western singing groups today.

For a detailed history of the group, see Sons of the San Joaquin: the Songs, the Music, the Men, by Ken Griffis, Norken, 1999.
O.J. Sikes