Gene Autry
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Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning style on
radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...
, in films, and on
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
for more than three decades beginning in the early 1930s. Autry was the owner of a television station, several radio stations in Southern California, and the Los Angeles/Anaheim/California Angels
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
team from 1961 to 1997. From 1934 to 1953, Autry appeared in 93 films, and between 1950 and 1956 hosted '' The Gene Autry Show'' television series. During the 1930s and 1940s, he personified the straight-shooting hero—honest, brave, and true. Autry was also one of the most important pioneering figures in the history of
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
, considered the second major influential artist of the genre's development after Jimmie Rodgers. His singing cowboy films were the first vehicle to carry country music to a national audience. In addition to his signature song, " Back in the Saddle Again" and his hit " At Mail Call Today", Autry is still remembered for his Christmas songs, most especially his biggest hit " Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" as well as " Frosty the Snowman", " Here Comes Santa Claus", and " Up on the House Top". Autry is a member of both the
Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has ama ...
and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and is the only person to be awarded stars in all five categories on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for film, television, music, radio, and live performance. The town of Gene Autry, Oklahoma, was named in his honor, as was the Gene Autry precinct in Mesa, Arizona.


Life and career


Early years

Orvon Grover Autry was born September 29, 1907, near Tioga in Grayson County in north
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, the grandson of a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
preacher. His parents, Delbert Autry and Elnora Ozment, moved in the 1920s to Ravia in Johnston County in southern Oklahoma. Gene Autry worked on his father's ranch while growing up and going to school. In 1925, Autry left the family ranch. With only his high school education, Autry became a
telegrapher A telegraphist (British English), telegrapher (American English), or telegraph operator is an operator who uses a telegraph key to send and receive the Morse code in order to communicate by land lines or radio. During the Great War the Royal ...
for the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway. His talent at singing and playing guitar led to performing at local dances.


Singing career

While working as a telegraph operator in
Chelsea, Oklahoma Chelsea is a town in Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,964 at the 2010 census, a decline of 8.3 percent from the figure of 2,136 recorded in 2000. Chelsea was named after the area in London, England, by Charles Peach, a ...
, Autry would sing and accompany himself on the guitar to pass the lonely hours, especially when he had the midnight shift. This later got him fired. One night, he was encouraged to sing professionally by a customer, humorist Will Rogers, who had heard him singing. As soon as he could save money to travel, he went to New York. In the autumn of 1928, he auditioned for the Victor Talking Machine Company, shortly before purchase by David Sarnoff's Radio Corporation of America (RCA). According to
Nathaniel Shilkret Nathaniel Shilkret (December 25, 1889 – February 18, 1982) was an American musician, composer, conductor and musical director. Early career Shilkret (originally named Natan Schüldkraut) was born in New York City, United States, to parents ...
, director of Light Music for Victor at the time, Autry asked to speak to Shilkret after finding that he had been turned down. Shilkret explained to Autry that he was turned down not because of his voice, but because Victor had just made contracts with two similar singers. Autry left with a letter of introduction from Shilkret and the advice to sing on radio to gain experience and to come back in a year or two. In 1928, Autry was singing on Tulsa radio station KVOO (now KTSB) as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy". The Victor archives show an October 9, 1929, entry stating that the vocal duet of Jimmie Long and Gene Autry with two Hawaiian guitars, directed by L. L. Watson, recorded "My Dreaming of You" (Matrix 56761) and "My Alabama Home" (Matrix 56762). Autry signed a recording deal with Columbia Records in 1929. He worked in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
on the
WLS-AM WLS (890 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by Cumulus Media, through licensee Radio License Holdings LLC, the station airs a talk radio format. WLS has its radio studios in the NBC Tower on North Columbus Drive ...
radio show '' National Barn Dance'' for four years, and with his own show, where he met singer-songwriter Smiley Burnette. In his early recording career, Autry covered various genres, including a labor song, "The Death of Mother Jones", in 1931. Autry also recorded many " hillbilly"-style records in 1930 and 1931 in New York City, which were certainly different in style and content from his later recordings. These were much closer in style to the
Prairie Ramblers Floyd Holmes (March 6, 1910 – January 1, 1970), better known as Salty Holmes, was an American country musician and Western B-movie actor. Holmes was born in Glasgow, Kentucky. He became a virtuoso on the harmonica, specializing in the style kn ...
or Dick Justice, and included the "Do Right, Daddy Blues" and "Black Bottom Blues", both similar to "
Deep Elem Blues The "Deep Elm Blues" (also spelled "Deep Elem Blues" or "Deep Ellum Blues"Pask, Kevin.Deep Ellum Blues ''Southern Spaces'', 30 October 2007.) is an American traditional song. The title of the tune refers to the historical African-American neighbor ...
". These late
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholi ...
-era songs deal with bootlegging,
corrupt police Police corruption is a form of police misconduct in which law enforcement officers end up breaking their political contract and abuse their power for personal gain. This type of corruption may involve one or a group of officers. Internal polic ...
, and women whose occupation was certainly vice. These recordings are generally not heard today, but are available on European import labels, such as JSP Records. His first hit was in 1932 with "
That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine" was Gene Autry's first hit record in 1932, written and performed with fellow railroadman Jimmy Long. Thanks to his new career as a singing cowboy in 1935, it became one his biggest. Writing and recording Jimmy ...
", a duet with fellow railroad man Jimmy Long that Autry and Long co-wrote. As Autry's movie career flourished, so did his record sales. His unofficial theme song became the Ray Whitley composition " Back in the Saddle Again". Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by himself. His records sold more than 100 million copies and he has more than a dozen gold and platinum records, including the first record ever certified gold. Today's listeners associate Gene Autry with Christmas songs, which are played perennially during each holiday season. These include " Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", his own composition " Here Comes Santa Claus", " Frosty the Snowman", and his biggest hit, " Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". He wrote "Here Comes Santa Claus" after being the Grand Marshal of the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade (now the
Hollywood Christmas Parade The Hollywood Christmas Parade (formerly the Hollywood Santa Parade and Santa Claus Lane Parade) is an annual American parade held on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It follows a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) route al ...
). He heard all of the spectators watching the parade saying, "Here comes Santa Claus!" virtually handing him the title for his song. He recorded his version of the song in 1947 and it became an instant classic. In the late 1950s he began recording other artists, as the original owner of Challenge Records. The label's biggest hit was " Tequila" by The Champs in 1958, which started the
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to inst ...
craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He sold the label soon after, but the maroon (later green) label has the "GA" in a shield above the label name.


Film career

Autry and Burnette were discovered by film producer Nat Levine in 1934. Together, Autry and Burnette made their film debut for
Mascot Pictures Mascot Pictures Corporation was an American film company of the 1920s and 1930s best known for producing and distributing film serials and B-westerns. Mascot was formed in 1927 by film producer Nat Levine. In 1936 it merged with several other ...
Corp. in '' In Old Santa Fe'' as part of a singing cowboy quartet; he was then given the starring role by Levine in 1935 in the 12-part serial ''
The Phantom Empire ''The Phantom Empire'' is a 1935 American Western serial film directed by Otto Brower and B. Reeves Eason and starring Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, and Betsy King Ross.Magers 2007, p. 21. This 12-chapter Mascot Pictures serial combined the ...
.'' Shortly thereafter, Mascot was absorbed by the newly formed Republic Pictures Corp. and Autry went along to make a further 44 films up to 1940. Most were low-budget Westerns in which he played under his own name, rode his horse
Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
, had Smiley Burnette as his regular sidekick, and had many opportunities to sing in each film. His films were tremendously successful, so much so that almost every other studio tried to compete by showcasing their own singing cowboys. By 1940 Autry was Republic's biggest star, and his films became more costly and more elaborate. They played first-run in large cities, unlike the usual "B" westerns that played in neighborhood theaters. In the '' Motion Picture Herald'' Top Ten Money-Making Western Stars poll, Autry was listed every year from the first poll in 1936 to 1942 and 1946 to 1954 (he was serving in the AAF 1943–45), holding first place 1937 to 1942, and second place (after Roy Rogers) 1947 to 1954, when the poll ceased. He appeared in the similar ''
Boxoffice ''Boxoffice Pro'' is a film industry magazine dedicated to the movie theatre business published by BoxOffice Media LP. History It started in 1920 as ''The Reel Journal'', taking the name ''Boxoffice'' in 1931 and still publishes today, with ...
'' poll from 1936 to 1955, holding first place from 1936 to 1942 and second place (after Rogers) from 1943 to 1952. While these two polls are really an indication only of the popularity of series stars, Autry also appeared in the Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll of all films from 1940 to 1942, His ''Gene Autry Flying "A" Ranch Rodeo'' show debuted in 1940. Autry served in the U. S. Air Force during World War II. Part of his military service included his broadcast of a radio show for one year; it involved music and true stories. Several decades ago on an early afternoon show featuring Republic westerns, one of Gene's sidekicks said that when Gene told Republic Pictures of his intentions to join the military during World War II, Republic threatened to promote Roy Rogers as "King of the Cowboys" in Gene's absence, which it did. Republic reissued old Autry westerns during the war years, to keep his name before the public. Autry's contract had been suspended for the duration of his military service, and he had tried to have it declared void after his discharge. The courts found in Republic's favor, and Autry returned to Republic after the war. He finished out his contract with four more features, with Autry now publicized as "King of the Singing Cowboys". In 1947 Autry left Republic for
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
, which offered him his own production unit. He chose a new sidekick, Pat Buttram, recently returned from his
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
service. Buttram would co-star with Gene Autry in more than 40 films and in more than 100 episodes of Autry's television show. In 1951, Autry formed his own company (Flying A Productions) to make westerns under his own control, and Columbia continued to distribute them through 1953.


Melody Ranch

Autry purchased the 110-acre Monogram Ranch in 1953, in Placerita Canyon near Newhall, California, in the northern San Gabriel Mountains foothills. He renamed it the Melody Ranch after his movie '' Melody Ranch.'' Autry then sold 98 acres of the property, most of the original ranch. The Western town, adobes, and ranch cabin sets and open land for location shooting were retained as a movie ranch on 12 acres. Numerous "B" Westerns and TV shows were shot there during Autry's ownership, including the initial years of '' Gunsmoke'' with James Arness. A decade after he purchased Melody Ranch, a brushfire swept through in August 1962, destroying most of the original standing sets and dashing Autry's plans to turn it into a museum. However, the devastated landscape did prove useful for productions such as '' Combat!''. A complete adobe ranch survived at the northeast section of the ranch. According to a published story by Autry, the fire caused him to turn his attention to
Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the ...
, where he would build his Museum of Western Heritage (now known as the Autry Museum of the American West). In 1990, after his favorite horse Champion Three, which lived in retirement there, died, Autry put the remaining 12-acre ranch up for sale. It was purchased by the Veluzat family in 1991 and rebuilt. It is now known as the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio and Melody Ranch Studios on 22 acres. The ranch has the Melody Ranch Museum open year-round; and one weekend a year, the entire ranch is open to the public during the Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, another legacy of Autry's multiple talents.


Radio and television career

From 1940 to 1956, Autry had a huge hit with a weekly show on CBS Radio, '' Gene Autry's Melody Ranch''. His horse, Champion, also had a Mutual radio series, ''
The Adventures of Champion ''The Adventures of Champion'' is an American adventure serial radio drama directed by William Burch about screen cowboy Gene Autry's horse Champion. Each 15-minute episode was broadcast weekday afternoons on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 194 ...
'' and a
CBS-TV CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
series of the same name. In response to his many young radio listeners aspiring to emulate him, Autry created the Cowboy Code, or Ten Cowboy Commandments. These tenets promoting an ethical, moral, and patriotic lifestyle that appealed to youth organizations such as the
Boy Scouts Boy Scouts may refer to: * Boy Scout, a participant in the Boy Scout Movement. * Scouting, also known as the Boy Scout Movement. * An organisation in the Scouting Movement, although many of these organizations also have female members. There are t ...
, which developed similar doctrines. The Cowboy Code consisted of rules that were "a natural progression of Gene's philosophies going back to his first '' Melody Ranch'' programs—and early pictures." According to the code: # The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage. # He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him. # He must always tell the truth. # He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals. # He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas. # He must help people in distress. # He must be a good worker. # He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits. # He must respect women, parents, and his nation's laws. # The Cowboy is a patriot. Beginning in 1950, he produced and starred in his own television show on ABC-TV's_''Ozark_Jubilee.html" ;"title="American_Broadcasting_Company.html" ;"title="BS through his Flying A Productions studio. In the late 1950s, Autry also made several appearances on American Broadcasting Company">ABC-TV's ''Ozark Jubilee">Jubilee USA''.


Military career

During World War II, Autry enlisted in the United States Army in 1942, and became a technical sergeant, tech sergeant in the United States Army Air Forces. Holding a private pilot licensing and certification, pilot certificate, he was determined to become a military pilot and earned his Service Pilot rating in June 1944, serving as a C-109 transport pilot with the rank of flight officer. Assigned to a unit of the
Air Transport Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies ...
, he flew as part of the dangerous airlift operation over the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...
between India and China, nicknamed
the Hump The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek ...
.


Rodeo

In 1942, at the height of his screen popularity, Autry had a string of rodeo stock based in
Ardmore, Oklahoma Ardmore is the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. According to the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,283, with an estimated population of 24,698 in 2019. The Ardmore micropolitan statistical area had an estimate ...
. A year later, he became a partner in the World Championship Rodeo Company, which furnished
livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...
for many of the country's major rodeos. In 1954, he acquired Montana's top bucking string from the estate of Leo J. Cremer Sr., and put Canadian saddle bronc riding champion Harry Knight in charge of the operation. A merger with the World Championship Rodeo Company in 1956 made Autry the sole owner. He moved the entire company to a ranch near
Fowler, Colorado The Town of Fowler is a statutory town located in northwestern Otero County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,253 at the 2020 United States Census. History Fowler was named for Orson Squire Fowler, a phrenologist who founded ...
, with Knight as the working partner in the operation. For the next 12 years, they provided livestock for most of the major rodeos in Texas, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska. When the company was sold in 1968, both men continued to be active in rodeo. For his work as a livestock contractor, Autry was inducted into the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's
ProRodeo Hall of Fame The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, pr ...
in 1979. Autry received several honors for his contributions to rodeo.


Honors

* 1972: Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum * 1979:
ProRodeo Hall of Fame The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, pr ...
* 1980:
Hall of Great Westerners The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American ...
of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center * 1988: Texas Trail of Fame * 2013: Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame


Gene Autry comics

Gene Autry was often portrayed in the comics, primarily during the heyday of Western-themed comics, the 1940s and 1950s. The Register and Tribune Syndicate comic strip ''Gene Autry Rides'' by Till Goodan was the first entry, lasting from 1940 to 1941. From 1941 to 1943, Autry was the subject of a
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
initially published by Fawcett Comics and then picked up by
Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1974. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark" ...
that ran 12 issues. Dell then published 101 issues of ''Gene Autry Comics'' from 1946 to 1955. That title was changed to ''Gene Autry and Champion'', and ran an additional 20 issues from 1955 to 1959, making it the longest-running (by number of issues) cowboy actor comic book. Meanwhile, Autry was the subject of an "Air-Western-Adventure Strip" comic strip syndicated by General Features from 1952 to 1955. The strip was produced in association with Whitman Publishing.Knoll, Erwin. "New Autry Strip Has Cowboys, Spies, Space," ''Editor & Publisher'' (July 26, 1952)
Archived at ''Stripper's Guide''
The Mexican publisher Editorial Novaro released 423 issues of ''Gene Autry'' comics from 1954 to 1984.


Toys

In 1937, Kenton Hardware Company began producing Gene Autry cast-iron cap guns as a part of its line of iron toys. The toy was commission by Kenton vice-president Willard Bixler, who had conceptualized an iron cap revolver modeled after the pearl-handled gun used by Gene Autry. The cap pistols were extremely popular and by 1939, two million units of the toy had been sold in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and abroad.


Baseball

In the 1950s, Autry had been a minority owner of the minor-league Hollywood Stars. In 1960, when
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
announced plans to add an expansion team in Los Angeles, Autry—who had once declined an opportunity to play in the
minor leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in N ...
—expressed an interest in acquiring the radio broadcast rights to the team's games. Baseball executives were so impressed by his approach that he was persuaded to become the owner of the franchise rather than simply its broadcast partner. The team, initially called the Los Angeles Angels upon its 1961 debut, moved to suburban Anaheim in 1966, and was renamed the California Angels, then the Anaheim Angels from 1997 until 2005, when it became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Autry served as vice president of the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...
from 1983 until his death. In 1995, he sold a quarter share of the team to
the Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
and a controlling interest the following year, with the remaining share to be transferred after his death. Earlier, in 1982, he sold Los Angeles television station KTLA for $245 million. He also sold several radio stations he owned, including KSFO in San Francisco, KMPC in Los Angeles, KOGO in San Diego, and other stations in the Golden West radio network. The number 26 was retired by the Angels in Autry's honor. The chosen number reflected that baseball's rosters (at the time) had 25 men, so Autry's unflagging support for his team made him the "26th man" (see also the '' 12th man'', a similar concept in football). When the Angels finally won their first (and to date, only) World Series championship in 2002, star outfielder
Tim Salmon Timothy James Salmon (born August 24, 1968), nicknamed "King Fish", is an American former professional baseball player and current sportcaster. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to with the Anaheim Angels as an ...
held Autry's cowboy hat aloft during the on-field celebration, and the public address system played his hit song, " Back in the Saddle Again."


Hotels

He invested in property, owning by 1964 the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco; the Hotel Continental in Hollywood; the Sahara Inn, a $12-million motel near Chicago; plus property in Palm Springs.


Retirement

Autry retired from show business in 1964, having made almost 100 films up to 1955 and over 600 records. He was elected to the
Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has ama ...
in 1969 and to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. After retiring, he invested widely in real estate, radio, and television. He also invested in ownership of the KOOL-TV CBS-affiliate (now Fox affiliate KSAZ-TV) in
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, which created local shows such as the weekly bilingual children's show ''Niños Contentos''. Republic Pictures, its finances failing, had shut down production in 1957. By the late 1960s Republic was barely operational, managing only its film library. Gene Autry, correctly assessing the company's cash-poor situation, made a cash offer for the rights and negatives to his Republic films. The company accepted Autry's terms, and Autry now controlled the film materials for home-movie reprints and home-video tapes and discs.


Death

Gene Autry died of
lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include en ...
on October 2, 1998, three days after his 91st birthday at his home in Studio City, California. He was buried at the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. His epitaph read, "America's Favorite Cowboy ... American Hero, Philanthropist, Patriot and Veteran, Movie Star, Singer, Composer, Baseball Fan and Owner, 33rd Degree Mason, Media Entrepreneur, Loving Husband, Gentleman".


Personal life

In 1932, Autry married Ina Mae Spivey, the niece of Jimmy Long. During this marriage he had a sustained affair with Gail Davis, the actress who played Annie Oakley in the television series of the same name that Autry produced. After Spivey died in 1980, he married Jacqueline Ellam, who had been his banker, in 1981. He had no children by either marriage. While Autry was quiet about his political views during his life, his voting records listed him as a registered Republican, and he supported the Civil Rights Movement. Autry was raised into
Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
in 1927 at Catoosa Lodge No. 185, Catoosa Oklahoma. He later became a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason, as recorded on his headstone.


Legacy

On November 16, 1941, the town of Berwyn, Oklahoma, north of Ardmore, was renamed Gene Autry in his honor. Though Autry was born in Tioga, Texas, his family moved to Oklahoma while he was an infant. He was raised in the southern Oklahoma towns of Achille and Ravia. Autry had also worked as a telegraph operator near Berwyn. In 1939, he bought the Flying A Ranch on the west edge of Berwyn, and the town decided to honor him by changing its name. Approximately 35,000 people attended the ceremonies broadcast live from the site on Autry's '' Melody Ranch'' radio show. Expectations that Autry would make his permanent home on the ranch were heightened when Autry's house in California burned down just 8 days before the name change ceremony, but dashed three weeks later with the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
. Autry joined the military in 1942 and sold the ranch after the war. In 1972, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
. Autry was a life member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Burbank Lodge No. 1497. His 1976 autobiography, co-written by
Mickey Herskowitz Milton Leon "Mickey" Herskowitz (born April 4, 1933 in Houston, Texas) is an American journalist and biographer. He has written more than 50 books and has published autobiographies with several athletes. He was a sportswriter and columnist for th ...
, was titled ''Back in the Saddle Again'' after his 1939 hit and signature tune. He is also featured year after year, on radio and "
shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that ...
music" at the holiday season, by his recording of " Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." "Rudolph" became the first No. 1 hit of the 1950s. In 2003, he was ranked No. 38 in CMT's list of the ''40 Greatest Men of Country Music''. In 1977, Autry was awarded the American Patriots Medal by
Freedoms Foundation The Freedoms Foundation is an American non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian educational organization, founded in 1949. The foundation is located adjacent to the Valley Forge National Historical Park, near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Bill of ...
of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Johnny Cash recorded a song in 1978 about Autry called "Who is Gene Autry?" Cash also got Autry to sign his famous black
Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...
D-35 guitar, which he plays in the video of " Hurt". In 1983, Autry received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. Autry was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1991. When the Anaheim Angels won their first
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
in 2002, much of the championship was dedicated to him. The interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 134, near the Autry National Center in Los Angeles, is signed as the "Gene Autry Memorial Interchange." There is also a street named after Autry in
Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...
calle
Gene Autry Way
and there is a street in Palm Springs, California name
Gene Autry Trail
Autry was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2004, Starz joined forces with the Autry estate to restore all of his films, which have been shown on Starz's
Encore Westerns Starz Encore is an American premium television channel owned by Starz Inc. a subsidiary of Lions Gate Entertainment and headquartered at the Meridian International Business Center complex in Meridian, Colorado, United States. Launched as Encore ...
channel on premium television on a regular basis to date since. In 2007, he became a charter member of the Gennett Records Walk of Fame in Richmond, Indiana. In May 2019, Warner Chappell Music acquired the Gene Autry Music Group, a music publisher comprising four smaller publishers, 1,500 compositions (including "Back in the Saddle Again", " Here Comes Santa Claus", " Just Walkin' in the Rain", and " You Belong To Me"), and several of Autry's master recordings.


Statues


California

* (1988) ''Back in the Saddle Again'' by David Spellerberg (semi-public statue: Autry and his movie horse "Champion"); exterior courtyard, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, California * (1998) ''Gene Autry Statue'' by De L'Esprie (semi-public statue: Autry with hat in hand); exterior courtyard inside gate 2, Angel Stadium/Edison International Field of Anaheim, Anaheim, California * (2009)
Gene Autry, America's Favorite Singing Cowboy
' by De L'Esprie (public statue: Autry seated, with guitar); Palm Springs, California


Hollywood Walk of Fame

Autry is the only person to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one in each of the five categories defined by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. All of Autry's stars are located along Hollywood Boulevard: Recording at 6384, Radio at 6520, Motion pictures at 6644, Television at 6667, and Live theatre at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard. His first four stars were placed during the initial inductions of 1960 while the final one was placed in 1987, in the additional category named "Live theatre"—later renamed "Live performance"—introduced in 1984.


Museum of the American West

The Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles'
Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the ...
was founded in 1988 as the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum featuring much of Autry's personal collection of Western art and memorabilia as well as collections of his friends and other Western film stars. Since 2004, the museum is partnered with the
Southwest Museum of the American Indian The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is a museum, library, and archive located in the Mt. Washington neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, above the north-western bank of the Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County) canyon and stream. The muse ...
and is divided into two locations, eight miles apart from each other.


Discography

+ 1,000,000 units sold


Albums


Singles


1930s


1940s


1950s


1990s


2010s


2020s


Holiday 100 chart entries

Since many radio stations in the US adopt a format change to Christmas music each December, many holiday hits have an annual spike in popularity during the last few weeks of the year and are retired once the season is over. In December 2011, '' Billboard'' began a
Holiday Songs A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tr ...
chart with 50 positions that monitors the last five weeks of each year to "rank the top holiday hits of all eras using the same methodology as the Hot 100, blending
streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content i ...
, airplay, and sales data", and in 2013, the number of positions on the chart was doubled, resulting in the Holiday 100. A few Autry recordings have made appearances on the Holiday 100 and are noted below according to the holiday season in which they charted there.


Filmography

From 1934 to 1953, Autry appeared in 93 films. From 1950 to 1955, he also appeared in 91 episodes of '' The Gene Autry Show'' television series. , a large number of these films and television episodes remain available via the Gene Autry Foundation on the Western Channel (a
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
station), the latter having collaborated with the Foundation to restore the Republic titles, which had been cut to a uniform 54 minutes for television release in the 1950s, to full length and to provide clean negative-based source prints for all the titles in the 1990s. * '' In Old Santa Fe'' (1934) * '' Mystery Mountain'' (1934) (serial) * ''
The Phantom Empire ''The Phantom Empire'' is a 1935 American Western serial film directed by Otto Brower and B. Reeves Eason and starring Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, and Betsy King Ross.Magers 2007, p. 21. This 12-chapter Mascot Pictures serial combined the ...
'' (1935) (serial) * '' Tumbling Tumbleweeds'' (1935) * ''
Melody Trail ''Melody Trail'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry, Ann Rutherford, and Smiley Burnette.Magers 2007, p. 35. Written by Sherman L. Lowe and Betty Burbridge, the film is about a singing cowboy who ...
'' (1935) * ''
The Sagebrush Troubadour ''The Sagebrush Troubadour'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry, Barbara Pepper, and Smiley Burnette. Written by Oliver Drake and Joseph F. Poland, the film is about two Texas Rangers traveling underc ...
'' (1935) * ''
The Singing Vagabond ''The Singing Vagabond'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Carl Pierson and starring Gene Autry, Ann Rutherford, and Smiley Burnette. Written by Oliver Drake and Betty Burbridge, the film is about a cowboy who rides to the rescue when ...
'' (1935) * '' Red River Valley'' (1936) * '' Comin' Round the Mountain'' (1936) * '' The Singing Cowboy'' (1936) * ''
Guns and Guitars ''Guns and Guitars'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Dorothy Dix in her final film appearance. Written by Dorrell and Stuart E. McGowan, the film is about a singing cowboy who ...
'' (1936) * ''
Ride Ranger Ride ''Ride Ranger Ride'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Kay Hughes. Based on a story by Bernard McConville and Karen DeWolf, and a screenplay by Dorrell and Stuart E. McGowan, ...
'' (1936) * '' Oh, Susanna!'' (1936) * '' The Big Show'' (1936) * ''
The Old Corral '' The Old Corral '' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Irene Manning. Based on a story by Bernard McConville, the film is about a sheriff of a small western town who sings hi ...
'' (1936) * '' Round-Up Time in Texas'' (1937) * '' Git Along Little Dogies'' (1937) * ''
Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm ''Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Mack V. Wright and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Armida. Based on a story by Johnston McCulley, the film is about two cowboys who assume the identities of dead o ...
'' (1937) * '' Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge'' (1937) * ''
Public Cowboy No. 1 ''Public Cowboy No. 1'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Ann Rutherford. Based on a story by Bernard McConville, the film is about a singing cowboy who chases down rustlers ...
'' (1937) * '' Boots and Saddles'' (1937) * '' Springtime in the Rockies'' (1937) * ''
The Old Barn Dance ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1938) * ''
Gold Mine in the Sky ''Gold Mine in the Sky'' is a 1938 Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Carol Hughes. Based on a story by Betty Burbridge, the film is about a singing cowboy and ranch foreman who, as executor of th ...
'' (1938) * '' Man from Music Mountain'' (1938) * '' Prairie Moon'' (1938) * '' Rhythm of the Saddle'' (1938) * ''
Western Jamboree ''Western Jamboree'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Ralph Staub and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Jean Rouverol.Magers 2007, p. 124. Based on a story by Patricia Harper, the film is about a singing cowboy who goes up ...
'' (1938) * '' Home on the Prairie'' (1939) * '' Mexicali Rose'' (1939) * ''
Blue Montana Skies ''Blue Montana Skies'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by B. Reeves Eason and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and June Storey. Based on a story by Norman S. Hall and Paul Franklin, the film is about a singing cowboy who goes up a ...
'' (1939) * '' Mountain Rhythm'' (1939) * ''
Colorado Sunset ''Colorado Sunset'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and June Storey. Written by Betty Burbridge and Stanley Roberts, based on a story by Luci Ward and Jack Natteford, the film ...
'' (1939) * ''
In Old Monterey ''In Old Monterey'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and June Storey. Based on a story by Gerald Geraghty and George Sherman, the film is about an army sergeant and former ranch ...
'' (1939) * ''
Rovin' Tumbleweeds ''Rovin' Tumbleweeds'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette and Mary Carlisle. Written by Betty Burbridge, Dorrell McGowan, and Stuart E. McGowan, the film is about a cowboy congressm ...
'' (1939) * '' South of the Border'' (1939) * ''
Rancho Grande Rancho Grande is a municipality in the Matagalpa department of Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Cost ...
'' (1940) * '' Shooting High'' (1940) * ''
Gaucho Serenade ''Gaucho Serenade'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and June Storey. Written by Betty Burbridge and Bradford Ropes, the film is about a singing cowboy who goes up against a g ...
'' (1940) * '' Carolina Moon'' (1940) * ''
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride ''Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and June Storey. Written by Winston Miller, based on a story by Betty Burbridge and Connie Lee, the film is about a s ...
'' (1940) * '' Melody Ranch'' (1940) * ''
Ridin' on a Rainbow ''Ridin' on a Rainbow'' is a 1941 American Western musical film directed by Lew Landers and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Mary Lee. Written by Bradford Ropes and Doris Malloy, based on a story by Ropes, the film is about a singing ...
'' (1941) * '' Back in the Saddle'' (1941) * '' The Singing Hill'' (1941) * '' Sunset in Wyoming'' (1941) * ''
Under Fiesta Stars ''Under Fiesta Stars'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Carol Hughes. Based on a story by Karl Brown, the film is about a singing cowboy and rodeo champion who inherits a ...
'' (1941) * ''
Down Mexico Way ''Down Mexico Way'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Fay McKenzie. Based on a story by Dorrell and Stuart E. McGowan, the film is about a singing cowboy who comes to the ai ...
'' (1941) * ''
Sierra Sue ''Sierra Sue'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by William Morgan and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Fay McKenzie. Written by Earl Felton and Julian Zimet, the film is about a government inspector investigating a poisonous w ...
'' (1941) * ''
Cowboy Serenade ''Cowboy Serenade'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by William Morgan and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Fay McKenzie. Written by Olive Cooper, the film is about a singing cowboy and cattleman who goes after a gambling rin ...
'' (1942) * '' Heart of the Rio Grande'' (1942) * ''
Home in Wyomin' ''Home in Wyomin is a 1942 American Western film directed by William Morgan and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Fay McKenzie. Based on a story by Stuart Palmer, the film is about a singing cowboy who helps out a former employer in tr ...
'' (1942) * '' Stardust on the Sage'' (1942) * ''
Call of the Canyon ''Call of the Canyon'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, the Sons of the Pioneers, and Ruth Terry. Based on a story by Maurice Rapf and Olive Cooper, the film is about a singing ...
'' (1942) * ''
Bells of Capistrano ''Bells of Capistrano'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by William Morgan and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Virginia Grey. Written by Lawrence Kimble, it is a story of a singing cowboy who helps out a beautiful rodeo owner ...
'' (1942) * '' Sioux City Sue'' (1946) * ''
Trail to San Antone ''Trail to San Antone'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by John English, written by Jack Natteford and Luci Ford, and starring Gene Autry, Peggy Stewart, Sterling Holloway, William "Bill" Henry, Johnny Duncan and Tris Coffin. It ...
'' (1947) * '' Twilight on the Rio Grande'' (1947) * '' Saddle Pals'' (1947) * '' Robin Hood of Texas'' (1947) * '' The Last Round-Up'' (1947) * ''
The Strawberry Roan ''The Strawberry Roan'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by John English and starring Gene Autry. Plot Joe is paralyzed by a wild horse, a strawberry roan. His father, Walt, tries to kill the horse in anger but is unsuccessful and th ...
'' (1948) * '' Loaded Pistols'' (1948) * '' The Big Sombrero'' (1949) * ''
Riders of the Whistling Pines ''Riders of the Whistling Pines'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by John English and starring Gene Autry, Patricia Barry, and Jimmy Lloyd. Written by Jack Townley, the film is about a gang of outlaws who are destroying the timberland ...
'' (1949) * ''
Rim of the Canyon ''Rim of the Canyon'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by John English and starring and co-produced by Gene Autry; featuring Nan Leslie, and Thurston Hall. Based on the short story ''Phantom .45's Talk Loud'' by Joseph Chadwick, the ...
'' (1949) * '' The Cowboy and the Indians'' (1949) * '' Riders in the Sky'' (1949) * ''
Sons of New Mexico ''Sons of New Mexico'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by John English and written by Paul Gangelin. The film stars Gene Autry, Gail Davis, Robert Armstrong, Dick Jones, Frankie Darro and Irving Bacon. The film was released on De ...
'' (1949) * '' Mule Train'' (1950) * '' Cow Town'' (1950) * '' Hoedown'' (1950) * ''
Beyond the Purple Hills ''Beyond the Purple Hills'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by John English and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Gene Autry, Jo-Carroll Dennison, Don Beddoe, James Millican, Don Reynolds and Hugh O'Brian. The film was re ...
'' (1950) * ''
Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...
'' (1950) * '' The Blazing Sun'' (1950) * '' Gene Autry and the Mounties'' (1951) * '' Texans Never Cry'' (1951) * '' Whirlwind'' (1951) * '' Silver Canyon'' (1951) * ''
The Hills of Utah ''The Hills of Utah'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by John English and starring Gene Autry, Elaine Riley and Donna Martell.Pitts p.152 The film's sets were designed by the art director Charles Clague. Plot Cast * Gene Autry as ...
'' (1951) * ''
Valley of Fire Valley of Fire State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area covering nearly located south of Overton, Nevada. The state park derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from shifting san ...
'' (1951) * ''
The Old West ''The Old West'' is a series of books about the history of the American Old West era, published by Time-Life Books from 1973 through 1980. Each book focused on a different topic specific for the era, such as cowboys, American Indians, gamblers ...
'' (1952) * ''
Night Stage to Galveston ''Night Stage to Galveston'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Gene Autry, Virginia Huston, Thurston Hall, Judy Nugent, Robert Livingston and Harry Cording. The film ...
'' (1952) * ''
Apache Country ''Apache Country'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Gene Autry, Carolina Cotton, Harry Lauter, Mary Scott, Sydney Mason, Francis X. Bushman and Pat Buttram. The film w ...
'' (1952) * '' Barbed Wire'' (1952) * '' Wagon Team'' (1952) * ''
Blue Canadian Rockies ''Blue Canadian Rockies'' is a 1952 American western film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Gene Autry. In the film Autry sang the song "Blue Canadian Rockies", written by Cindy Walker.A Century of Country: An Illustrated History of C ...
'' (1952) * ''
Winning of the West ''Winning of the West'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Gene Autry and Gail Davis.Rowan p.33 Plot Main cast * Gene Autry as Gene Autry * Champion as Champ - Gene's Horse * Gail Davis as Ann Rand ...
'' (1953) * '' On Top of Old Smoky'' (1953) * '' Goldtown Ghost Riders'' (1953) * '' Pack Train'' (1953) * ''
Saginaw Trail Saginaw Trail is the collective name for a set of connected roads in Southeast and Central Michigan that runs from Detroit to Saginaw through Pontiac and Flint that was originally a tribal foot trail. To drive it today, drivers would follow: * fro ...
'' (1953) * ''
Last of the Pony Riders ''Last of the Pony Riders'' is a 1953 American Western (genre), Western film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Gene Autry in his last starring feature film and Kathleen Case.Dick p.161 Plot Cast * Gene Autry as Gene Autry * Champio ...
'' (1953)


See also

*
Autry National Center of the American West The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs, including le ...
* Melody Movie Ranch *
Hollywood Christmas Parade The Hollywood Christmas Parade (formerly the Hollywood Santa Parade and Santa Claus Lane Parade) is an annual American parade held on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It follows a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) route al ...
* Gene Autry, Oklahoma * List of best-selling music artists *
List of Freemasons This "List of Freemasons" page provides links to alphabetized lists of notable Freemasons. Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation which exists in a number of forms worldwide. Throughout history some members of the fraternity have made no secr ...


Further reading

* *


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * *


External links

* * * *
Autry National Center

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum


*
Zoot Radio, free old time radio show downloads of Gene Autry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Autry, Gene 1907 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 20th-century Methodists American acoustic guitarists American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters American crooners American male film actors American male guitarists American male radio actors American male singers American male television actors American radio personalities American United Methodists Anaheim Angels owners Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) California Angels owners California Republicans Challenge Records artists Columbia Pictures contract players Columbia Records artists Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Country musicians from California Country musicians from Oklahoma Country musicians from Texas Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from lymphoma Gennett Records artists Guitarists from Los Angeles Guitarists from Oklahoma Guitarists from Texas Los Angeles Angels owners Major League Baseball owners Major League Baseball people with retired numbers Male actors from California Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from Oklahoma Male actors from Texas Male Western (genre) film actors Members of The Lambs Club Okeh Records artists People from Grayson County, Texas People from Johnston County, Oklahoma People from Newhall, Santa Clarita, California ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees Singers from Los Angeles Singers from Oklahoma Singers from Texas Singing cowboys Stock contractors Texas Republicans United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II Victor Records artists Western (genre) television actors Yodelers Golden Boot Awards recipients