Gene Autry

In motion picture history, one of the greatest success stories was Gene Autry. He began his working life as a railroad telegrapher and rose to become a multi-millionaire through movies, radio, recordings and television. His fortune included - real estate, hotels, oil wells, radio stations, newspapers, theatres, and recording firms.

The son of Delbert and Elnora Autry, he left high school in 1925 to work for the San Francisco Railroad as a telegraph operator. He served as a station telegrapher in Ravia and Sapulpa, Oklahoma. He became a dispatcher for the depot at Chelsea, Oklahoma. It was here he first met Will Rogers. Having heard Gene sing Rogers advised him to get into show business. In 1928, Autry at the age of 21, he became a singer for a Tulsa radio station. Two years later, NBC’s popular –“National Barn Dance” program over station WLS in Tulsa featured Gene Autry.

In 1931, Gene had his first gold record hit, “That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine.” He wrote the song with Jimmy Long. Even after becoming a movie star, Gene Autry continued his singing career with such hits as “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “South of the Border,” Mexicali Rose,” “Have I Told You Lately I Love You,” “Be Honest With Me,” and “At Mail Call Today.”

On a trip to Springfield, Missouri to meet with his friend and writing partner, Jimmy Long. He met Jimmy’s niece, Ina Mae Spivey. Three months later, Gene was performing in St. Louis when Jimmy, his wife and niece came to visit the young singer. It was their fourth date. In a little café on the south side, Gene asked her to wed. She became Mrs. Gene Autry on April 1, 1932.

With each picture, bigger and costlier productions spotlighted Gene’s singing. It was something new in Westerns that the hero deliberately took time out from chasing outlaws to sing a song, but movie fans took to the cowboy singer immediately. Among the stars that played in non-musical horse operas, the arrival of the singing cowboy was considered an insult to the tradition of Westerns. Several predicted that the new guitar-strumming heroes were a fad and would not last. In movie history, Gene Autry became one of the biggest hits.

For six years Gene was Republic’s top money-maker, riding his horse, “Champion,” through one successful film after another and singing his songs until the public voted him one of the top ten box-office favorites. The popularity of his films brought a parade of singing cowboys to the screen. Music seemed to swamp Westerns. It seemed the Western would be doomed to die among a flurry of guitars and yodeling.

In 1938, Gene held out for an improved contract. Republic Pictures had a young performer that had appeared in two of Gene’s pictures. One was with his singing group “The Sons of the Pioneers,” and the other was as Dick Weston. He changed his name to Roy Rogers and became a hit for Republic, now with two hot Western singing stars.

In 1942, the 35-year-old Gene entered the U.S. Air Corps, serving with the Air Transport Command during World War II. When he left Republic, the studio wasted no time in replacing him with another singing cowboy named Roy Rogers, who took over as “King of the Cowboys” in 1943.

In the early part of the war, Gene was stationed at Luke Airfield, outside of Phoenix, Arizona. In his spare time, he continued entertaining to the troops. He had a small pilots license, but he was not rated high enough. Besides, he was in his mid-thirties. At the fields around Phoenix, he earned ratings in Stearman, Fairchilds, and the AT-6. Finally, the Air Corps allowed him to take fight training at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from flight school and became a pilot for the Air Transport Command.

After World War II, Autry returned to pictures to find his place taken at Republic. He formed his own production company with Columbia Studios releasing them for him. He started making a new series of Westerns billed as “Public Cowboy No. 1” and resumed his successful career. By that time, musical Westerns lost some of their flavor and Gene toned down his singing numbers in favor of more action. Some believe these Westerns resulted in better quality because the singing no longer interfered with the plots.

He returned to his old “Melody Ranch” radio program for the Wrigley Chewing Gum Corporation and resumed his tours with the “Gene Autry Rodeo.”

It was after the war, Gene Autry’s biggest hit records appeared. They were “Here Comes Santa Claus,” and “Here Comes Peter Cottontail.” Over the years, Gene sold over 60 million records; however, one record accounted for 30 million records sold. It is the classic, “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.”

Noted for his shrewd business know-how, he organized his Gene Autry Enterprises into a multi-million dollar empire and became the first cowboy star to make a series of films exclusively for television when he appeared on his “Gene Autry Show” in 1950. It was at that time that he brought suit against Republic for releasing his old pictures to TV, and when he failed to get satisfaction, he went into TV production himself and competed with his own films.

His Flying A Productions produced a number of early TV shows as his “The Gene Autry Show,” “The Range Rider,” “Annie Oakley,” “Young Buffalo Bill,” “Cavalcade of America,” “Death Valley Days” and “The Adventures of Champion.”

Since 1960, Gene retired from the film industry to concentrate on his other business ventures.

In 1961, he purchased the, the Anaheim Angels baseball team. Until his death, Gene was the Vice President of the American League.

At the age of 91, Gene Autry died from lymphoma. His second wife Jacqueline Ellam survives him. Berwyn, Oklahoma changed its name to “Autry.”