This day in music history.
July 23, 1950, "The Gene Autry Show" premiered on CBS-TV. Armed with gun, guitar and his horse Champion, Gene battled the nasty blackhats with his trusty sidekicks Pat Buttram, Fuzzy Knight, Alan Hale, Jr. and Chill Wills.
At age 16, he went to work as a baggage hauler at the telegraph office in Achille, Oklahoma. One day while on break Gene was strumming and singing when Will Rogers came in to wire his daily syndicated newspaper column. The humorist was impressed by the young Autry and encouraged him to go into show business.
In 1932 Gene Autry and Jimmy Long (a friend from railroad days) recorded "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine," this would be Genes first gold record. (actually this was the first record ever certified gold) Gene became one of the countries biggest radio stars he was known as 'Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy'.
Soon Gene would get a part in the Ken Maynard movie, 'In Old Santa Fe'. By 1940 Gene Autry was one of the four most popular movie stars in America. In 1950 he became the first major movie star to have a television show. The show ran for 5 years, he produced and starred in 91 half-hour episodes. This success lead him to produce such popular TV series as Annie Oakley, The Range Rider, Buffalo Bill Jr., The Adventures Of Champion as well as the first 39 episodes of Death Valley Days.
He made 93 feature films and 635 recordings (which sold over 100 million copies), Autry is the only entertainer to have five stars on Hollywoods Walk of Fame (one for each facet of his career).
He would have a town named after him (Gene Autry, Oklahoma) and would receive at least one of every kind of prestigious award given, including Honorary Inspector General and was given the prestigious award of the Grand Cross of the Court of Honor. (He was a 33rd Degree Mason)
Gene Autry died at his home in Studio City, California on October 2, 1998. He was 91 years old.
At age 16, he went to work as a baggage hauler at the telegraph office in Achille, Oklahoma. One day while on break Gene was strumming and singing when Will Rogers came in to wire his daily syndicated newspaper column. The humorist was impressed by the young Autry and encouraged him to go into show business.
In 1932 Gene Autry and Jimmy Long (a friend from railroad days) recorded "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine," this would be Genes first gold record. (actually this was the first record ever certified gold) Gene became one of the countries biggest radio stars he was known as 'Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy'.
Soon Gene would get a part in the Ken Maynard movie, 'In Old Santa Fe'. By 1940 Gene Autry was one of the four most popular movie stars in America. In 1950 he became the first major movie star to have a television show. The show ran for 5 years, he produced and starred in 91 half-hour episodes. This success lead him to produce such popular TV series as Annie Oakley, The Range Rider, Buffalo Bill Jr., The Adventures Of Champion as well as the first 39 episodes of Death Valley Days.
He made 93 feature films and 635 recordings (which sold over 100 million copies), Autry is the only entertainer to have five stars on Hollywoods Walk of Fame (one for each facet of his career).
He would have a town named after him (Gene Autry, Oklahoma) and would receive at least one of every kind of prestigious award given, including Honorary Inspector General and was given the prestigious award of the Grand Cross of the Court of Honor. (He was a 33rd Degree Mason)
Gene Autry died at his home in Studio City, California on October 2, 1998. He was 91 years old.
<>10:50 AM
%20Day%20of%20Dead.jpg)
<< Home