Gene Autry

Artist Image: Gene Autry
Attribution
Image Credit: Seattle Packing Company-Bar-S Brand ( photo front photo back), Public domain

Biography

Orvon Gene Autry (September 29, 1907 - October 2, 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy. Autry is the only entertainer to have been honored in all five categories by the Hollywood Walk of Fame, having been awarded stars for his performances in Radio, Recording, Motion Pictures, Television, and Live Theatre/performance. Born in Tioga, Texas, Autry was raised in Texas and Oklahoma. Discovered by humorist Will Rogers, in 1929 Autry was billed as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy" at KVOO in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He gained a popular following, a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1929, and soon after, performed on the "National Barn Dance" for radio station WLS in Chicago. Autry first appeared on screen in 1934 and up to 1953 popularized the musical Western and starred in 93 feature films. In 1940 theater exhibitors of America voted Autry the fourth biggest box office attraction, behind Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, and Spencer Tracy. While best known today as the singer of such holiday fare as Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane), Frosty The Snowman, Peter Cottontail, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the second all-time best selling Christmas single of all time, Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by him. His records are reputed to have sold more than 100 million copies. His recording of That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine is reputed to have sold more than 5 million copies. Autry's other significant recordings include: * You Are My Sunshine (1931) * A Face I See at Evening (1931) * The Last Roundup (1933) * Cowboy's Heaven (1934) * South of the Border (1934) * Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935) * Mexicali Rose (1935) * Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle (1935) * Gold Mine in the Sky (1937) * Back in the Saddle Again (1939) * Blueberry Hill (1941) * Be Honest With Me (1946) * Ghost Riders in the Sky (1949) * Nobody's Darlin' but Mine (1957) From 1940 to 1956 Autry hosted the weekly Melody Ranch radio show over the CBS Radio Network, featuring Autry's trademark theme song Back In The Saddle Again. In addition, Autry's popularity was apparent during his personal appearance tours. Claimed to have been the first performer to sell out Madison Square Garden, his concert and rodeo appearances throughout the United States and Europe served as a model for other performers. Autry often did two shows a day, seven days a week, for 65 to 85 days at a stretch. In 1950, Autry became one of the first major movie stars to turn to television. For the next five years he produced and starred in 91 half-hour episodes of The Gene Autry Show for CBS Television. This success lead him to produce such popular TV series as Annie Oakley, The Range Rider, Buffalo Bill Jr., The Adventures Of Champion as well as the first 39 episodes of Death Valley Days. He carried his love for entertaining and sharp business sense into broadcasting, where, under the Golden West Broadcasters banner, he owned a chain of radio and television stations throughout the Western United States, including KMPC and KTLA in Los Angeles and KSFO in San Francisco until the late 1980's. His other business interests included the Gene Autry Hotel in Palm Springs, and several other properties. He ranked for many years on the Forbes magazine list of the 400 richest Americans, before he fell in 1995 to the magazine's "near miss" category with an estimated net worth of $320 million. Autry's broadcasting interests that led him in 1960 to acquire the then expansion Los Angeles Angels American League baseball franchise (later the California Angels). After his retirement from performing in the mid-1960's, much of Autry's time was spent unsuccessfully attempting to win a World Series' championship for his Angels. When he became the first country musician to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he said that there's "only one day that will be bigger than this one for me, and that's when we win the World Series." Autry was a fixture at Angels' games for the rest of his life. Autry's long-cherished dream came true with the opening in November 1988 of the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, since acclaimed as one of the finest museums on the history and mythology of the West. Among the many hundreds of honors and awards Autry has received were induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame; the American Academy of Achievement Award, the Los Angeles Area Governor's Emmy from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; and the Board of Directors Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Achievement in Arts Foundation. Autry was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, The National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and he received The Songwriters Guild Life Achievement Award. He was also honored by his songwriting peers with a lifetime achievement award from ASCAP. Gene Autry died at his home in Studio City, California on October 2, 1998 at the age of 91.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1907
Number of Albums 24
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia Gene Autry on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

On what date was Gene Autry born?

September 29, 1907

...utry, perhaps the greatest singing cowboy of all time, is born on September 29, 1907 , in Tioga, Texas. While still a boy, Autry moved with his family ...
In what state was Gene autry born in 1907?

Texas

...est singing cowboy of all time, is born on September 29, 1907, in Tioga, Texas . While still a boy, Autry moved with his family to a ranch in Oklahoma ...
What instrument did Autry learn to play?

guitar

...ved with his family to a ranch in Oklahoma where he learned to play the guitar and sing. The young Autry was quickly attracted to a new style of music...
On what ranch was Autry raised?

Oklahoma

...a, Texas. While still a boy, Autry moved with his family to a ranch in Oklahoma where he learned to play the guitar and sing. The young Autry was quic...
What was the new style of music known as?

countrywestern

... songs, ballads, and hymns of southernstyle country music. Known as countrywestern , the new sound was popularized by musicians from the East Coast and...
Who had never been near a horse and couldnt tell a stirrup from a lariat?

musicians from the East Coast and the South

...n as countrywestern, the new sound was popularized by musicians from the East Coast and the South who had never been near a horse and couldnt tell a s...
What was Autry's name?

Gene

... Gene Autry, perhaps the greatest singing cowboy of all time, is born on September 29, 1907, in Tioga, Texas. While still a boy, Autry moved with his f...
Who encouraged Autry's dream of singing professionally?

Will Rogers

...ho had lived on a ranch. After a chance encounter with cowboyhumorist Will Rogers , who encouraged his dream of singing professionally, Autry made his ...
When did Autry make his first recording?

1929

...d his dream of singing professionally, Autry made his first recording in 1929 , and for several years performed as Oklahomas Yodeling Cowboy on a Tulsa...
How many movies followed In Old Santa Fe?

nearly 100

...catalog. His first movie, In Old Santa Fe, was eventually followed by nearly 100 other films that made him one of the most popular stars in America an...
In what year did he die?

1998

...he most popular stars in America and vastly expanded the audience for countrywestern music around the world. He died in October 1998 at the age of 91....
How old was he when he died?

91

...he most popular stars in America and vastly expanded the audience for countrywestern music around the world. He died in October 1998 at the age of 91 ....
How many films did Gene Autry appear in between 1934 and 1953?

93

...film, see The Singing Cowboy (film). From 1934 to 1953, Autry appeared in 93 films, and between 1950 and 1956 hosted The Gene Autry Show television se...
What television show did Autry host between 1950 and 1956?

The Gene Autry Show

...953, Autry appeared in 93 films, and between 1950 and 1956 hosted The Gene Autry Show television series. During the 1930s and 1940s, he personified th...
In what year was The Singing Cowboy made?

1936

... Jump to search For other uses, see Gene Autry (disambiguation). For the 1936 film, see The Singing Cowboy (film). From 1934 to 1953, Autry appeared i...
Who was the most influential artist of country music's development?

Jimmie Rodgers

...he second major influential artist of the genre's development after Jimmie Rodgers . His singing cowboy films were the first vehicle to carry country m...
Where is Gene Autry's precinct?

Mesa, Arizona

... Oklahoma, was named in his honor, as was the Gene Autry precinct in Mesa, Arizona . His parents, Delbert Autry and Elnora Ozment, moved in the 1920s t...
Where did his parents move to in the 1920's?

Ravia in Johnston County in southern Oklahoma

...lbert Autry and Elnora Ozment, moved in the 1920s to Ravia in Johnston County in southern Oklahoma . He worked on his father's ranch while at school. A...
When did he leave high school?

1925

...worked on his father's ranch while at school. After leaving high school in 1925 , Autry worked as a telegrapher for the St. LouisSan Francisco Railway....
What railroad did Autry work for?

St. LouisSan Francisco Railway

...worked on his father's ranch while at school. After leaving high school in 1925, Autry worked as a telegrapher for the St. LouisSan Francisco Railway ....
Who was the biggest selling country & western singer of the middle of the 20th century?

Orvon Gene Autry

...ountry & western singer of the middle of the 20th century was born Orvon Gene Autry on September 29, 1907, in the tiny Texas town of Tioga, the son of...
When was Orvon Gene Autry born?

Tioga

...s born Orvon Gene Autry on September 29, 1907, in the tiny Texas town of Tioga , the son of Delbert and Elnora Ozmont Autry. He was first taught to sin...
Who encouraged Autry's interest in music?

his mother

...had died at the Alamo). The boy's interest in music was encouraged by his mother , who taught him hymns and folk songs and read psalms to him at night....
How much did the first guitar cost?

eight dollars

...t guitar at age 12, bought from the Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog for eight dollars (saved from his work as a hired hand on his uncle's farm baling and...
What was the shift he was working?

fourtomidnight

...nd on his uncle's farm baling and stacking hay). He was working the fourtomidnight shift at the local telegraph office in Chelsea, Oklahoma one summer...
What was Autry doing to break up the monotony?

strumming a guitar and singing quietly to himself

...t in 1927 when, to break up the monotony, he began strumming a guitar and singing quietly to himself . A customer came into the office; rather than ins...
What city would he consider going to to pursue a singing career?

New York

...e customer told Autry that with some hard work, he might have a future on the radio, and should consider going to New York to pursue a singing career....
Who were the parents of Orvon Autry?

Delbert and Elnora Autry

...aptist minister, was born in a farmhouse near Tioga, Texas, to Delbert and Elnora Autry . When the Autrys moved to Oklahoma, young Gene took a job as r...
Who did Gene meet on the Frisco railroad?

Jimmy Long

...egrapher for the St. Louis & Frisco railroad, where he eventually met Jimmy Long , an older fellowrailroader who also made music on the side and had id...
What did Gene make test records for?

Edison and Victor

...then pop singers recording in New York, Gene made test records for Edison and Victor before being urged to return home and gain experience as a perfor...
How long did Victor spend on Tulsas KVOO?

two years

...eing urged to return home and gain experience as a performer. He spent two years (192829) on Tulsas KVOO, billed as Oklahomas Yodeling Cowboy and sing...
What was the name of the band he sang on?

Tulsas KVOO

...me and gain experience as a performer. He spent two years (192829) on Tulsas KVOO , billed as Oklahomas Yodeling Cowboy and singing Jimmie Rodgerss the...
How many different companies did Henson cut masters for?

five

...market crashed. He began recording with a vengeance, cutting masters for five different companies, each of which issued records on several labels for ...
What was the name of the duet he recorded with Jimmy Long for ARC?

That SilverHaired Daddy of Mine

...e first time he broke away from the Rodgers mold, recording That SilverHaired Daddy of Mine in late October 1931 as a duet with Jimmy Long for the ARC...
What was the name of the A&R man that worked for the ARC family of labels?

Art Satherley

... a duet with Jimmy Long for the ARC family of labels and its A&R man Art Satherley . Lilting and sentimental in the tradition of the turnofthecentury p...
On what station did Autry first broadcast his first morning broadcast?

Chicagos WLS

...the song became a major hit and propelled Autry to a radio career on Chicagos WLS , beginning with his first morning broadcast on December 1, 1931, on ...
When was Autry's first broadcast on WLS?

December 1, 1931

...eer on Chicagos WLS, beginning with his first morning broadcast on December 1, 1931 , on his own show Conqueror Record Time. Urged by Satherley, Autry ...
When did Autry record his first western songs?

1933

...sed on western songs and attire, and recorded his first western songs in 1933 . His own series of films began the following year (with the science fict...
What was the name of the science fiction serial Autry made?

The Phantom Empire

...f films began the following year (with the science fiction serial The Phantom Empire ), and by 1937 exhibitors voted Autry the 1 boxoffice attraction i...
Who were the parents of orvon gene Autry?

Delbert and Elnora Ozmont Autry

... as America's favorite cowboy, Orvon Gene Autry was born to Delbert and Elnora Ozmont Autry on September 29, 1907, on a small tenant farm near Tioga, ...
How many cowboy movies did Autry star in?

ninetythree

...ably the most famous, if not the first, singing cowboy, he starred in ninetythree movies, most of them musical Westerns and most with his faithful hor...
How many records were released during Autry's career?

635

...sical Westerns and most with his faithful horse, Champion. Autry released 635 records during his career and wrote several super hits including his fir...
In what year was his first hit single released?

1932

...several super hits including his first, That SilverHaired Daddy of Mine ( 1932 ) and his trademark, Back in the Saddle Again (1939). His other signature...
What was Autry's trademark tune?

Back in the Saddle Again

...rst, That SilverHaired Daddy of Mine (1932) and his trademark, Back in the Saddle Again (1939). His other signature tunes included Tumbling Tumbleweed...
What was the name of the show aired on CBS from 1940 to 1956?

Melody Ranch

...unshine, and Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer. Autry also found fame on radio and television. His Melody Ranch show aired on CBS radio from 1940 to 1956....
What year did Melody Ranch air on CBS?

1940

...unshine, and Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer. Autry also found fame on radio and television. His Melody Ranch show aired on CBS radio from 1940 to 1956....
What company did Autry sign a contract with in the 1930s and 1940s?

Republic Pictures

...The next year he signed a contract with Republic Pictures and began making westerns. Autryfor better or worsepretty much ushered in the era of the sin...
How many times their average production costs did these films grosse?

ten

...s oaters of automobiles, radios and airplanes). These films often grossed ten times their average 50,000 production costs. During World War II he enli...
During what war did he enlist in the US Army?

World War II

...ften grossed ten times their average 50,000 production costs. During World War II he enlisted in the US Army and was assigned as a flight officer from...
Where did Orvon Gene Autry first appear on radio?

Tulsa, Oklahoma

...telegrapher for the Frisco Railroad, and first appeared on radio in Tulsa, Oklahoma . Later he had his own radio show on CBS. He won the National Paren...
What award did he win for his films and television programs?

National ParentsTeachers Film Award

...ahoma. Later he had his own radio show on CBS. He won the National ParentsTeachers Film Award for the films and television programs he produced. Orvon...
What was Autry's influence on what we now know as country music?

tremendous

...k into movies, his influence on what we now know as country music was tremendous . Through his films and recordings, Autry made country and western mus...
What genres did he cover?

early blues, country, pop songs of the day, movie music and childrens music

... terrain in his recordings, including early blues, country, pop songs of the day, movie music and childrens music . Gene Autry rose to superstardom and...
Gene Autry rose to superstardom and became a multimillionaire through what combination of personal style, hard work, and charisma?

sheer grit

...ire through a combination of personal style, hard work, charisma, and sheer grit . Born Orvon Gene Autry on September 29, 1907, in Tioga, Texas, he lea...
What genre of music did Autry cover in his recordings?

early blues, country

...amazing amount of stylistic terrain in his recordings, including early blues, country , pop songs of the day, movie music and childrens music. Gene Aut...
Who was Orvon Gene Autry's mother?

Elnora

... September 29, 1907, in Tioga, Texas, he learned music from his mother, Elnora , on a mailorder guitar and sang in the choir of his grandfather William...
What spanned the twentieth century as his career moved?

from radio to recording to movies to television

..., spanned the twentieth century as his career moved from radio to recording to movies to television , paralleling the discovery of each. Autry generate...
What was Autry's career spanned?

the twentieth century

...oth in life and on screen. His endeavors, like his life, spanned the twentieth century as his career moved from radio to recording to movies to televi...
How many films and 90 television episodes did he make?

90

... television, paralleling the discovery of each. Autry generated more than 90 films and 90 television episodes, made 635 recordings, and sold more than...
Autry sold how many records before his death?

more than 100 million

... films and 90 television episodes, made 635 recordings, and sold more than 100 million records before his death in 1998. Sales of more than 50 million...
What was Delbert's father's occupation?

livestock dealer

...ra Autry. The family moved to Ravia, Oklahoma, where his father, a livestock dealer , exposed him to the traditions of the West and the life of a cowbo...
Where did the Autry family move to?

Ravia, Oklahoma

...near Tioga, Texas, to Delbert and Elnora Autry. The family moved to Ravia, Oklahoma , where his father, a livestock dealer, exposed him to the traditio...
At what age did he begin to love music?

5

...of the West and the life of a cowboy. He developed a love for music at age 5 when he sang in his grandfather's Baptist church choir and his mother tau...
What was Autry's trademark theme song?

Back In The Saddle Again

... the CBS Radio Network, featuring Autry's trademark theme song Back In The Saddle Again . The first performer to sell out Madison Square Garden, his co...
How many shows a day did Autry do?

two

...urope are legendary and served as a model for other performers. Autry did two shows a day, seven days a week, for 65 to 85 days at a stretch. During t...
How many days a week was Autry at Madison Square Garden?

seven

...y and served as a model for other performers. Autry did two shows a day, seven days a week, for 65 to 85 days at a stretch. During the war, he ferried...
What was the hazardous air route Autry flew over the Himalayas known as?

The Hump

...r of war and flew over the Himalayas, the hazardous air route known as The Hump . When the war ended Autry was reassigned to Special Services, where he...
What was Autry reassigned to when the war ended?

Special Services

...oute known as The Hump. When the war ended Autry was reassigned to Special Services , where he toured with a USO troupe in the South Pacific before res...
Where did Autry ferry fuel, ammunition, and arms during the war?

ChinaIndiaBurma theater of war

...uring the war, he ferried fuel, ammunition, and arms in the ChinaIndiaBurma theater of war and flew over the Himalayas, the hazardous air route known ...
When did Autry resume his movie career?

1946

...th a USO troupe in the South Pacific before resuming his movie career in 1946 . In 1950, Autry became the first major movie star to use the television ...
When did Autry acquire the American League California Angels?

1961

...aseball prompted him to acquire the American League California Angels in 1961 . Active in Major League Baseball, Autry held the title of Vice President...
At what age did Autry acquire a guitar?

12

...ad aspired to be a singer since before he acquired a guitar at the age of 12 . While working as a telegraph agent for the railroad, Autry journeyed bri...
What was Autry's job title?

telegraph agent

...ce before he acquired a guitar at the age of 12. While working as a telegraph agent for the railroad, Autry journeyed briefly to New York City, where ...
In what city did he try unsuccessfully to become a professional singer?

New York City

...ng as a telegraph agent for the railroad, Autry journeyed briefly to New York City , where he tried unsuccessfully to become a professional singer. His...
In what year did he sing a song in the Ken Maynard vehicle In Old Santa Fe?

1934

...is film debut he sang a song in the Ken Maynard vehicle In Old Santa Fe ( 1934 ), and it launched his career as a cowboy actor. His first starring role ...
What was the first of Autry's cowboy movies?

Tumbling Tumbleweeds

...ifi western The Phantom Empire (1935), but the more conventional Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935) was the first of his dozens of cowboy movies, ending with...
Who was Autrys sidekick?

Smiley Burnette

...t of the Pony Riders (1953). His horse, Champion, and his sidekick, Smiley Burnette , usually starred with him. Aided by the popularity of his films, A...
What year was Tumbling Tumbleweeds released?

1935

...e Phantom Empire (1935), but the more conventional Tumbling Tumbleweeds ( 1935 ) was the first of his dozens of cowboy movies, ending with Last of the P...
How many songs did Autry record?

more than 600

...and his signature song, Back in the Saddle Again (1939). He recorded more than 600 songs altogether, many of which he wrote or cowrote. During World W...
When did Autry join the U.S. Army Air Forces?

1942

...wrote. During World War II Autry enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1942 and served until 1945, after which he resumed his movie and recording ca...
What year was Frosty the Snow Man?

1950

...o wane, he had hits with holiday classics such as Here Comes Santa Claus (1947), Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer (1949), and Frosty the Snow Man ( 1950 )....