Gene Autry

Born: September 29, 1907, Tioga, Texas
Died: October 2, 1998 (age 91), Studio City, California

Gene Autry was an performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television.

He died of lymphoma at his home.

What do you know about Gene Autry?

True or False?

1. After leaving high school in 1925, Autry became a telegraph operator.

• True or False?

2. He began performing on local radio in 1928 as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy".

• True or False?

3. He met singer/songwriter Glenn Strange in Chicago.

• True or False?

4. He recorded a labor song, "The Death of Mother Jones."

• True or False?

5. Autry also recorded many "hillbilly" style records in 1930 and 1931.

• True or False?

6. Autry's first big hit song was "Country Roads."

• True or False?

7. Autry owned a record label Champ Records.

• True or False?

8. The Phantom Empire was Autry first starring role in the movies.

• True or False?

9. Gene Autry's Melody Ranch was a hit TV series.

• True or False?

Answers

1. True. After leaving high school in 1925, Autry worked as a telegrapher for the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway.

2. True. 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".

3. False. Autry 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.

4. True. In his early recording career Autry covered various genres, including a labor song, "The Death of Mother Jones" in 1931

5. True. 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.

6. False. His first hit was in 1932 with That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine, a duet with fellow railroad man, Jimmy Long.

7. False. 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.

8. True. The Phantom Empire, starring Gene Autry the Singing Cowboy, was a 12-chapter 1935 Mascot serial that combined the western, musical, and science fiction genres. The first episode is 30 minutes , the rest about 20 minutes. This was Gene Autry's first starring role, playing himself as a singing cowboy.

9. False. From 1940 to 1956, Autry had a huge hit with a weekly radio show on CBS, Gene Autry's Melody Ranch, and his horse, Champion, also had a radio-TV series The Adventures of Champion.

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