Cherokee Boogie: From Stomp Dance Grounds to Rockabilly Stages
By Cara Cowan Watts | Cherokee411.com
The story of Cherokee Boogie begins in the hills of Arkansas and finds its way to the jukeboxes of Detroit honky-tonks. While questions remain about the Cherokee citizenship of William A. Sanders—better known as Chief Redbird—there is no doubt that he carried stomp dance rhythms into the heart of American rockabilly.
From Indian Territory to the Vaudeville Stage
Born April 7, 1899, near Cherokee City, Arkansas, Sanders grew up in Indian Territory. Based on his birthdate, he should have appeared on the Dawes Roll, but his name is missing. Whether he was officially enrolled or not remains a matter for researchers. What cannot be disputed is his deep impact on American music.
Redbird’s first major performances came with Otto Gray’s Oklahoma Cowboys from 1927 to 1933. The group toured vaudeville circuits, played on radio, and even appeared in a 1929 sound motion picture—capturing Redbird on fiddle, guitar, bass, banjo, and even cello.
A New Life in Detroit’s Country Scene
By the 1940s, Redbird had moved north, where “Chief Redbird and His Tribe” became regulars in Detroit and Cleveland clubs. His name still appears in Craig Maki’s Detroit Country Music: Mountaineers, Cowboys, and Rockabillies, which chronicles the city’s thriving country-western scene.
The Birth of Cherokee Boogie
The song that defined Redbird’s career was Cherokee Boogie (Eh-Oh-Aleena), co-written with Moon Mullican. The central chant—“Hey-ho-a-lina”—echoes stomp dance calls familiar in Cherokee ceremonial grounds across Oklahoma.
Mullican recorded the tune in Cincinnati in December 1950. Nine years later, Johnny Horton’s version took it further into mainstream popularity. Other performers—Hank Williams, Bull Moose Jackson, and BR-549 among them—helped cement it as a rockabilly classic.
The lyrics describe a Cherokee chief dancing with “a squaw called Standing Bear.” While the language reflects stereotypes of its era, the song’s heartbeat was the tom-tom rhythm and call-and-response style that carried Indigenous ceremonial traditions into American popular music.
Legacy of Chief Redbird
Redbird performed with his family and fellow musicians across the Midwest for decades. Though never a household name, his music bridged Native ceremonial sounds with one of the most dynamic genres of the 20th century. He died in 1978, leaving behind recordings, film clips, and a tune still recognizable more than 70 years after its release.
The lingering question of William Sanders’ Cherokee citizenship remains unanswered. What is certain is that Cherokee Boogie stands as an early moment when Indigenous music directly shaped what we now call rockabilly.
Sources
Detroit Country Music: Mountaineers, Cowboys, and Rockabillies by Craig Maki and Keith Cady
Car City Country archive: Chief Redbird film
Musixmatch: Cherokee Boogie lyrics
