Posted
on September 29, 2013
Today
let's sing “Happy Birthday” to the “Singing Cowboy,” Gene
Autry.
Was
he really a cowboy? Well, as a boy in Texas and Oklahoma, Autry
helped out on his dad's ranch, so he was, kinda' sorta'.
Did
he really sing? You bet! Gene Autry was a singer and actor, and he
became famous with radio, movie, and television appearances. Autry
earned enough as a performer to become an owner; he owned a TV
station, several radio stations, and even the Angels Major League
Baseball team!
Gene
Autry is probably most famous as the good-guy cowboy who sings—the
guy who is “straight-shooting,” the hero who is honest, brave,
and true. But his biggest singing hits were Christmas songs! He was
the first singer to record “Frosty the Snowman,” and he wrote as
well as sang “Here Comes Santa Claus.” His biggest hit, hitting
#1 in the U.S., was “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
That
stuff was “before my time” – heck, Autry was born a long time
ago, on this date in 1907! – but in 1988 Autry started a museum
that displays his collection of Western art and memorabilia. The
museum is in Los Angeles, right next to the L.A. Zoo. And I've been
there a lot a lot a lot! There are great Native American
artifacts, fun Western movies exhibits, and a fantastic show of Western art once a year!
 |
| This painting by Howard Terpning was one of my favorites of this year's art show! |
Here
are a few fun facts about Gene Autry:
- A town in Oklahoma changed its name from Berwyn to Gene Autry. This was in 1941, when Autry was just 34 years old! Can you imagine how many times in his 91 years Gene Autry went to Gene Autry, Oklahoma...just because he could!
- Speaking of changing one's name, Gene Autry was born Orvon Grover Autry!
Autry
is the only person to have five different stars on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame! “Why so many?” you ask. Well, they give out stars
for motion pictures (movies), radio, recording (music), television,
and live theater. And Autry did enough in each category to get a
star for each! Wow!
- The number 26 was retired by the Angels baseball team in honor of their owner, Gene Autry.
- Autry's old ranch, Melody Ranch (in Santa Clarita, CA), has been restored and now serves as a movie location and as the location of the Cowboy Festival every year.
Also
on this date:
Check
out my Pinterest pages on September
holidays, September
birthdays,
and historical
anniversaries in September.
And
here are my Pinterest pages on October
holidays, October
birthdays,
and historical
anniversaries in October.
No comments:
Post a Comment