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Gene Autry
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Background information
Birth nameOrvon Gene Autry
Also known asGene Autry
BornSeptember 29, 1907 (1907-09-29)
OriginTioga, Texas, USA
DiedOctober 2, 1998 (aged 91)
Genre(s)Country, Western Music
Occupation(s)Singer, Actor
Instrument(s)guitar
Years active1931 - 1964
Label(s)Columbia Records
WebsiteGeneAutry.com

Orvon Gene Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Tioga is a town in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 754 at the 2000 census Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. Western music is a form of Folk music originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal Cowboy hero of early Western films popularized by many of the B-movies of the 1930s and the 1940s Radio is one of the major major mass media of the United States. United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century Television is one of the major major mass media of the United States.

Contents

Early life

Autry, the grandson of a Methodist preacher, was born near Tioga, Texas. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Tioga is a town in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 754 at the 2000 census His parents, Delbert Autry and Elnora Ozmont, moved to Ravia, Oklahoma in the 1920s. Ravia is a town in Johnston County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 459 at the 2000 census. After leaving high school in 1925, Autry worked as a telegrapher for the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway. The St Louis-San Francisco Railway, also known as the Frisco, is a defunct U

Career

Recordings and early radio

An amateur talent with the guitar and voice led to his performing at local dances. After an encouraging chance encounter with Will Rogers, he began performing on local radio in 1928 as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy". This page is about the humorist for others with similar names see William Rogers.

He signed a recording deal with Columbia Records in 1929. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Events May 3 - Francis Poulenc 's Concert champêtre for Harpsichord and orchestra is premiered in Paris He worked in Chicago, Illinois, on the WLS (AM) radio show National Barn Dance for four years with his own show where he met singer/songwriter Smiley Burnette. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. WLS is a Chicago Radio station. The call letters stand for W orld's L argest S tore (for its original owner Sears The National Barn Dance was a Country music Radio program first heard on WLS (AM in Chicago Illinois and later on NBC Lester Alvin (Smiley Burnette ( March 18, 1911 &ndash February 16, 1967) an American singer-songwriter who could play as many as In his early recording career Autry covered various genres, including a labor song, "The Death of Mother Jones" in 1931. Mary Harris Jones ( May 1, 1830 or August 1, 1837 – November 30, 1930) better known as Mother Jones, born in

Autry also recorded many "hillbilly" style records in 1930 and 1931 in New York City which were certainly different in style and content than his later recordings. These much closer in style to the Prairie Ramblers or Dick Justice, and included the "Do Right Daddy Blues" and "Black Bottom Blues", both of which contain substantial similarity to "Deep Elem Blues". These late prohibition era songs deal with bootlegging, corrupt police, and women whose occupation is certainly vice. These recording are generally not heard today, but are available on European import labels such as JSP Records.

But his first hit was in 1932 with That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine, a duet with fellow railroad man, Jimmy Long. Events January 14 - Maurice Ravel 's Piano Concerto is premiered in Paris October 19 - Frankie Laine Autry also sang the classic Ray Whitley hit "Back in the Saddle Again", as well as many Christmas songs including "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", his own composition "Here Comes Santa Claus", "Frosty the Snowman" and probably his biggest hit ever, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Raymond Otis Whitley ( December 5, 1901 – February 21, 1979) also known as Ray Whitley, was a Country and Western " Back in the Saddle Again " was the signature song of American Cowboy entertainer Gene Autry. " Santa Claus Is Coming to Town " (sometimes with Coming changed to Comin') is a Christmas song. " Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane " is a Christmas song written by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman. " Frosty the Snowman " is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song and popular Christmas story about Santa Claus 's ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red-colored

Autry also owned the Challenge Records label. The label's biggest hit was "Tequila" by The Champs in 1958, which started the rock and roll instrumental craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Champs were a Rock and roll band most famous for their Latin-tinged Instrumental " Tequila.

Films

Discovered by film producer Nat Levine in 1934, he and Burnette made their film debut for Mascot Pictures Corp. A film producer is a person who creates the conditions for making movies. Nat Levine ( 26 July, 1899 &ndash 6 August, 1989) was an American Film producer. Events January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn (formerly of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz The Mascot Pictures Corporation was a minor film company of the 1920s and 1930s best known for producing Film serials and B-westerns. 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. Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials or Film serials, were Short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a Feature The Phantom Empire, starring Gene Autry the Singing Cowboy was a 12-chapter 1935 Mascot serial that combined the western Shortly thereafter, Mascot was absorbed by the formation of Republic Pictures Corp. and Autry went along to make a further 44 films up to 1940, all B westerns in which he played under his own name, rode his horse Champion, had Burnette as his regular sidekick and had many opportunities to sing in each film. Republic Pictures (also known as Republic Entertainment Inc) is an independent film television and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution A B movie is a motion picture made on a low or modest budget Originally the term was used for films intended for distribution as the less-publicized second half of a Double The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. SideKick was an early Personal Information Manager (PIM Software application by Borland launched in 1983 under Philippe Kahn He became the top Western star at the box-office by 1937, reaching his national peak of popularity from 1940 to 1942. His Gene Autry Flying "A" Ranch Rodeo show debuted in 1940.

He was the first of the singing cowboys, succeeded as the top star by Roy Rogers when Autry served as a C-47 Skytrain pilot of the United States Army Air Forces with the rank of Flight Officer[1] in the Air Transport Command during World War II flying dangerous missions over the Hump between Burma and China. Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye) (November 5 1911 &ndash July 6 1998 was a singer and Cowboy Actor. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The title Flight Officer can refer to a functional (occupational job title as an aircrew member or it can refer to a military rank previously used by the U Military Air Transport Service (MATS was a command of the US Air Force from 1948-65 which superseded the Army Air Force's Air Transport Command, its World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including 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 from India Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Radio

From 1940 to 1956, Autry had a huge hit with a weekly radio show on CBS, Gene Autry's Melody Ranch, and his horse also had a radio-TV series The Adventures of Champion. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The Adventures of Champion (subtitled Gene Autry's Champion) was a 15-minute adventure serial directed by William Burch and heard weekday afternoons on

Autry briefly returned to Republic after the war, to finish out his contract, which had been suspended for the duration of his military service and which he had tried to have declared void after his discharge. Thereafter, he formed his own production company to make westerns under his own control, which were distributed by Columbia Pictures, beginning in 1947. }} Columbia Pictures Industries Inc is an American Film production and distribution company He also starred in and produced his own television show on CBS beginning in 1950. He retired from show business in 1964, having made almost a hundred films up to 1955 and over 600 records. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1969 and to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is located at 222 Fifth Avenue South in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation Inc Post-retirement, he invested widely in real estate, radio and television, including purchasing from dying Republic Pictures the rights for films he had made for the company.

In 1952, Autry bought the old Monogram Ranch in Placerita Canyon (Newhall-Santa Clarita, California) and renamed it Melody Ranch. Santa Clarita can refer to Santa Clarita California Santa Clarita Valley Numerous "B" Westerns and TV serials were shot there during Autry's ownership, including the initial years of "Gunsmoke" with James Arness. James Arness (born as James Aurness on May 26 1923, Minneapolis Minnesota) is an Emmy -nominated American Actor Melody Ranch burned down in 1962, dashing Autry's plans to turn it into a museum. According to a published story by Autry, the fire diverted his attention to Griffith Park, where he would build his Museum of Western Heritage (now known as the Autry National Center). But like a phoenix rising, Melody Ranch came back to life after 1991 when it was purchased by the Veluzat family and rebuilt. It survives as a movie location today as well as the home of the City of Santa Clarita's annual Cowboy Festival, where Autry's legacy always takes center stage.

Cowboy Code

Autry created the Cowboy Code or Cowboy Commandments in response to his young radio listeners aspiring to be just like Gene.

  1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
  2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
  3. He must always tell the truth.
  4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
  5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
  6. He must help people in distress.
  7. He must be a good worker.
  8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
  9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation's laws.
  10. The Cowboy is a patriot.

Baseball executive

In the 1950s, Autry had been a minority owner of the minor-league Hollywood Stars. The Hollywood Stars were a Minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century In 1960, when Major League Baseball announced plans to add an expansion team in Los Angeles, Autry – who had once declined an opportunity to play in the minor leagues – 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. Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North The team, initially called the Los Angeles Angels upon its 1961 debut, moved to suburban Anaheim in 1966 and became known as the California Angels, then the Anaheim Angels from 1997 until 2005, when it became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. Headline Event of the Year Roger Maris hits 61 home runs breaking Babe Ruth 's record Autry served as vice president of the American League from 1983 until his death. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in In 1995 he sold a quarter share of the team to The Walt Disney Company, and a controlling interest the following year, with the remaining share to be transferred after his death. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians (4-2 Tom Glavine, MVP Earlier, in 1982, he sold Los Angeles television station KTLA for $245 million. KTLA, channel 5 is a television station in Los Angeles California. 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. KSFO is a conservative talk Radio station in San Francisco California, USA broadcasting on 560 kHz AM. KMPC ( Radio Korea, 라디오코리아 is a radio station based in Los Angeles California that airs Radio Korea programming KOGO (600 AM, "AM 600 KOGO" is a talk Radio station in San Diego California.

The number 26 was retired by the Angels in Autry's honor. The chosen number reflected that baseball's rosters are 25-man strong and Autry's support for his team.

Personal life

In 1932 he married Ina May Spivey (who died in 1980), who was the niece of Jimmy Long. He married his second wife, Jackie Autry, in 1981. Jackie Autry, (born Jacqueline Ellam) the former owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and widow of singer actor and businessman Gene Autry He had no children by either marriage.

Military service

During World War II Autry served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces with the rank of Flight Officer. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The title Flight Officer can refer to a functional (occupational job title as an aircrew member or it can refer to a military rank previously used by the U [1] He flew the C-47 Skytrain in the Air Transport Command flying dangerous missions over the Hump between Burma and China. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Military Air Transport Service (MATS was a command of the US Air Force from 1948-65 which superseded the Army Air Force's Air Transport Command, its 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 from India Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Gene Autry is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one in each of the five categories maintained by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that A chamber of commerce (also referred to in some circles as a board of trade) is a form of Business network. [2]

The stars are:

NameCategoryAddress
Gene AutryMotion pictures6644 Hollywood Blvd.
Radio6520 Hollywood Blvd.
Recording6384 Hollywood Blvd.
Television6667 Hollywood Blvd.
Live theatre7000 Hollywood Blvd.

Legacy

In 1972, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Hall of Great Western Performers is a Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City Oklahoma, U The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma.

Autry was a life member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Burbank Lodge No. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ( BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American Fraternal order and 1497.

His 1976 autobiography, co-written by Mickey Herskowitz, was titled Back in the Saddle Again after his 1939 hit and signature tune. Events Publication of Music Here and Now, book by Ernst Krenek March 23 – Béla Bartók 's Violin Concerto He is also featured year after year, on radio and "shopping mall theme music" at the holiday season, by his famous recording of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song and popular Christmas story about Santa Claus 's ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red-colored "Rudolph" became the first #1 hit of the 1950s.

CMT in 2003 ranked him #38 in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music. Country Music Television, or CMT as it is usually called is an American Country music -oriented Cable television network See also 2003 in music (UK Musical groups established in 2003 Record labels Country Music Television, or CMT as it is usually called is an American Country music -oriented Cable television network The 40 Greatest Men of Country Music is a three hour television special that first aired on March 28 2003 on CMT.

When the Anaheim Angels won their first World Series in 2002, much of the championship was dedicated to him. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The World Series was the 98th edition of the Fall Classic held from October 19-27 2002

The interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 134, located near the Autry National Center in Los Angeles, is signed as the "Gene Autry Memorial Interchange. Route description Southern California See also San Diego Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway, Golden State Freeway Interstate 5 starts State Route 134, a segment of the Ventura Freeway, runs from its junction with U The Autry National Center is an intercultural history center focused on the American West made up of two museums and the Institute for the Study of the American West Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West "

Johnny Cash recorded a song in 1978 about Autry called "Who is Gene Autry". Cash also got Autry to sign his famous black Martin D-35 guitar and the signature can be seen very clearly in the video for "Hurt. " Hurt " is a Song written by Trent Reznor, first released on Nine Inch Nails ' 1994 album The Downward Spiral. "

NWA Eazy-E mentioned Autry in his song We Want Eazy in his 1988 album Eazy Duz It. Eric Lynn Wright (September 7 1963 – March 26 1995 better known by the stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper, producer, and Record executive " We Want Eazy " was a single by Eazy-E featuring fellow N Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Eazy-Duz-It is the debut album from late rapper Eazy-E (of NW

In 2007, he became a charter member of the Gennett Records Walk of Fame in Richmond, Indiana. Gennett (pronounced with a soft G) was a United States based Record label which flourished in the 1920s. Richmond (ˈrɪtʃmənd is a city in Wayne Township, Wayne County, in east central Indiana, which borders Ohio.

The Museum of the American West

The Museum of the American West in Los Angeles' Griffith Park was founded in 1988 as the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, featuring much of his collection of Western art and memorabilia. The Autry National Center is an intercultural history center focused on the American West made up of two museums and the Institute for the Study of the American West Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Griffith Park is a large public Park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. Its mission is to preserve everything related to the "mythic aspects" of the American "old West" from true historical lifestyles to the 70-year saga of the Hollywood "Western movie" genre.

Included for many years on Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest Americans, he slipped to their "near miss" category in 1995 with an estimated net worth of $320 million.

Gene Autry died of lymphoma at age 91 at his home in Studio City, California, and is interred in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. Lymphoma a type of Neoplasm that originates in Lymphocytes (a type of White blood cell in the vertebrate Immune system) Studio City is a four-square-mile district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2003. History The National Radio Hall of Fame and Museum, located in the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago Illinois, is a Museum dedicated In 2004, the Starz Entertainment Corporation joined forces with the Autry estate to restore all of his films, which have been shown on Starz's Encore Western Channel on cable television on a regular basis to date since.

Popular songs recorded by Autry

Death

Gene Autry's death on October 2, 1998 came nearly three months after the death of another celebrated cowboy of the silver screen, radio, and TV, Roy Rogers. Events Publication of Music Here and Now, book by Ernst Krenek March 23 – Béla Bartók 's Violin Concerto Events January 5 - Ernesto Bonino debuts on Italian Radio January 15 - Olivier Messiaen 's Events August 7 - Carlo Bergonzi makes his professional debut as Schaunard in La Bohème at the Arena Argentina in Catania " (Ghost Riders in the Sky A Cowboy Legend " is a country and cowboy-style song Events December 29 - Les Paul and Mary Ford marry Mitch Miller begins his career as one of the 20th century's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song and popular Christmas story about Santa Claus 's ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red-colored Events December 29 - Les Paul and Mary Ford marry Mitch Miller begins his career as one of the 20th century's Events January 3 - Sam Phillips launches Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis Tennessee. Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye) (November 5 1911 &ndash July 6 1998 was a singer and Cowboy Actor.

See also

References

  1. ^ genautry.com Rank of Flight Officer

External links

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