Stanley Davis Jones (June 5, 1914 – December 13, 1963) was an American songwriter, primarily writing Western music.

His most famous, "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky", was written in 1948 (or 1949)[1] when he worked for the National Park Service in Death Valley, California.

As the guide for a group of Hollywood scouts who were looking at potential locations for films, he sang "Riders in the Sky" when they wanted to hear a sample of campfire music.

[1] Assigned as technical advisor to the filming of The Walking Hills, he became friends with director John Ford, who opened his way into Hollywood.

He was co-writer of the theme song for the television series Cheyenne, and Jones wrote again for John Ford's Civil War film The Horse Soldiers, in which he made an uncredited appearance as Ulysses S. Grant in the opening scene.

[5] In his final film, Ten Who Dared, Jones appeared as Seneca Howland, a member of John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition.