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unusual facts about singing cowboy



Earl Dwire

Noted for his almost frightening long face, Dwire worked mainly as a villain in westerns, including Riders of Destiny (1933) with John Wayne in the first singing cowboy movie and The Trail Beyond (1934) opposite Wayne, Noah Beery, Sr., and Noah Beery, Jr. He also appeared in Bob Steele vehicles such as Alias John Law (1935).

In Old Santa Fe

Although both Autry and Burnette were unbilled, the scene served as a screen test for the duo for subsequent singing cowboy films, beginning with The Phantom Empire (1935), which was Autry's first leading role.

Ken Maynard

His  two recorded songs with Columbia Records, "The Lone Star Trail" and "The Cowboy's Lament," made him one of the first of the singing cowboys.

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted

As the film and musical Rose-Marie was well known as were singing cowboys on the silver screen, Criterion decided that Renfrew would sing.


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Gene E. Sease

Born in the small coal mining town of Portage, Pennsylvania, Gene Sease is the youngest of five siblings and was named after the famous singing cowboy, Gene Autry.

Hank Ballard

His major vocal inspiration during his formative years was the "Singing Cowboy", Gene Autry, and in particular, his signature song, "Back in the Saddle Again".

Melody Ranch

Written by Jack Moffitt, F. Hugh Herbert, Bradford Ropes, and Betty Burbridge, the film is about a singing cowboy who returns to his hometown to restore order when his former childhood enemies take over the frontier town.

Rex Allen, Jr.

(born August 23, 1947) is an American country music singer, who started singing at the age of six; he had followed in the footsteps of his father, Rex Allen, a singing cowboy and the narrator of many Walt Disney films.

Robert L. May

Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy Gene Autry.

Samantha Bumgarner

Among the other (racially integrated) performers were American concert artists Marian Anderson, Lawrence Tibbett, and Kate Smith, singing classical and light popular music; and folk performers Lily May Ledford and the Coon Creek Girls; Josh White; the Golden Gate Quartet; Sam Queen and the Soco Gap Square Dance Team, who demonstrated clog dancing; and Alan Lomax, singing cowboy songs.

Smoky Dawson

He was widely touted as Australia's first singing cowboy complete with yodel, in the style of Gene Autry: Dawson had an extraordinary long and prolific career, releasing his first single in 1941 and his last album in 2005, aged 92, making him the worlds oldest recording artist (although now surpassed by the forces sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn).

Tex Fletcher

Tex hit the trail running in 1934 as he landed the role of Cowboy Answer Man on WWOR, New Jersey, at the height of singing cowboy craze, replacing close friend and cowboy star, Tex Ritter (he remained with WWOR for more than 20 years, going off the air in 1957).

The King and Queen of America

The song's music video showed Lennox and Stewart in a variety of costumes and settings which parodied various aspects of American pop culture, including a game show host and hostess, singing cowboy and cowgirl à la Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan.