Back in the day the guitar (outside of Spain) was considered a commoner's insturment: not a REAL musical insturment. Cowboys were also looked down upon as saddle-tramps, drifters that would contract out for a job, blow their pay and move on to the next job. CATTLEMEN owned the ranch/cattle and their regulars, foremen etc. were also cattlemen. 3 chords and sometimes 4 were just fine for the cowboys' music. Throw in a harmonica or a Jew's harp and you had a regular concert. Hollywood changed that picture with the "Singing Cowboy". Truth be told, Gospel and Folk were probably the mainstay of authenic "cowboy" music. Or so I've been told.

Sons of the Pioneers did "Riders in the Sky" but I don't know if they were the first. Lloyd Nolan did "Cool Water" which I believe was the first super-hit of the genre. Roy Rogers and Gene Autry who were super stars of the "B" Westerns (along with Dale Evans) and did as much as anyone to popularize "Cowboy" music. True. It was Hank Williams that started the trend toward "Country" music. Bob Wills and the Texas Troubadours introduce a blend called "Western Swing".

Let's not forget Marty Robbins. He was probably on of the last to have popular hits with "Western Music". It is very rare any more to hear a Western song on the radio.