America's Favorite Singing Cowboy

Gene Autry, America's Favorite Singing Cowboy, was born in Tioga, Texas in 1907, but he grew up and got his start in music in Oklahoma. By the late 1920s, Autry was singing on Tulsa station KVOO and was known as Oklahoma’s Yodeling Cowboy. Humorist Will Rogers, a fellow Oklahoman, discovered Autry, and his career soon exploded. He took over radios across the country, gaining a large following. In 1929, he signed a recording contract with Columbia Records, and soon after, performed on the "National Barn Dance" for radio station WLS in Chicago. 

Gene Autry

Autry first appeared on the big screen in 1934, popularizing the musical Western until 1953. He eventually starred in 93 feature films. In 1940, theater exhibitors of America voted Autry the fourth biggest box office attraction, behind Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, and Spencer Tracy.

He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 and became Sgt. Gene Autry. During the war, he ferried fuel, ammunition, and arms in the China-India-Burma areas and flew over the Himalayas, the hazardous air route known as "The Hump." When the war ended Autry was reassigned to Special Services, where he toured with a USO troupe in the South Pacific before resuming his movie career in 1946.

 Gene Autry riding Champion as he becomes an honorary member
 of the Miami Mounted Police

Over the decades he performed, Gene Autry made 640 musical recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by him. His records sold more than 100 million copies, and he had more than a dozen gold and platinum records, including the first record ever certified gold. Both of his children's records Here Comes Santa Claus and Peter Cottontail became platinum recordings.

Although Autry was the first performer to sell out Madison Square Garden, in his heart, he was always a cowboy. As early as August 1947, Gene promoted cowboy-code mandates during his Melody Ranch radio show dramas. Life Magazine began publishing the rules as they evolved.


Gene Autry achieved much during his lifetime. He is the only entertainer to have all five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for Radio, Recording, Motion Pictures, Television, and Live Theatre/performance. He received hundreds of honors and awards. Autry was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame; received the American Academy of Achievement Award, the Los Angeles Area Governor's Emmy from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; and the Board of Directors Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Achievement in Arts Foundation. Autry was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, The National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and he received The Songwriters Guild Life Achievement Award.

On a personal note, Gene was married to Ina Mae Autry for forty-eight years until she passed away. Sadly, they had no children. Gene married his second wife, Jacqueline, in 1981, and they were married for nineteen years until Gene's death on October 2, 1998. Gene Autry was a man to be admired--a true cowboy.

If you'd like to hear a snippet of Gene Autry's music, click here. There are several different recordings on this page.

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