Gene Autry's Death - Cause and Date Born (Birthday) Sep 29, 1907 Death Date October 2, 1998 Age of Death 91 years Cause of Death Lymphoma Profession Movie Actor The movie actor Gene Autry died at the age of 91. His given name at birth was Orvon Grover Autry. In the world of baseball, he was the Cowboy, one of the most popular owners in sports, who purchased the rights to the expansion Angels, spending his vast millions on players who made the club a winner if not a world champion. 1. He demands loyalty from everyone, but in turn he gives it right back., Maxine Hansen, who worked as Autrys secretary in recent years, said Friday he was a very gentle, sweet man . . Holly George-Warren is the author of Public Cowboy No. But the kind of "B" movies he had made were fading in popularity, and he failed to regain his status as one of the top 10 moneymakers. Gene Autry Death Fact Check, Birthday & Date of Death - Dead or Kicking Who is Gene Autry dating? Gene Autry girlfriend, wife - Who's Dated Who? Eunice Fay McKenzie (February 19, 1918 April 16, 2019) was an American actress and singer. Singing Cowboy Gene Autry Dies - October 2, 1998 - Songfacts Remembering Gene Autry - CBS News His grandfather was a Methodist preacher. He became a full-time businessman, with four radio stations, interests in newspapers, oil wells, ranches and hotels such as the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. Click to reveal The Cowboy got into baseball in 1960--through the back door. There was never anything obnoxious in them that might offend anybody.. She said that when she was packing up his office items at the KTLA building on Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue after Autry sold KTLA, she was sitting on the floor sorting records. Autry became enough of an accountant through the courses so that he later was able to check his own box-office receipts. $4.00 shipping. She starred in silent films as a child, and then sound films as an adult, but perhaps she is best known for her leading roles opposite Gene Autry in the early 1940s in five horse opera features. The show was one of the highest-rated programs on TNN. I always used my own name. In 1939, Autry took his show to Dublin, Ireland, where a crowd of more than 200,000 lined the streets to see the American cowboy star. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She made her final screen appearance in S.O.B. Autrys film career began in 1934 when he first went to Hollywood to sing one song in a Ken Maynard Western, In Old Santa Fe.. His success was unusual in that his early pictures were not popular in major metropolitan areas. Gene Autry | Discography | Discogs 1995: The Walt Disney Co. buys 25% of the Anaheim Angels for $30 million with an option to buy the rest upon Autrys death. CAPTION: Gene Autry's cowboy songs in the '30s and '40s helped define the country-western style of music. Gene Autry was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, and rodeo performer who had a net worth equal to $500 million at the time of his death, after adjusting for inflation. He ranked for many years on the Forbes magazine list of the 400 richest Americans, before he fell in 1995 to the magazine's "near miss" category with an estimated net worth of $320 million. He named the radio character Mr. Smiley and soon adopted the moniker as his own, dropping the title.[2]. I had no illusions about my films, nor did I consider myself anything special as an actor or a singer. His team may never have won a World Series in his lifetime, but he sure did leave this legacy behind. In baseball, I hardly ever won one., His popularity and generosity as an owner were well known throughout baseball. Autry installed a miniature railroad and dreamed of turning the ranch into a museum and amusement park open to the public. Among other venues, he once appeared with Dewey Brown and the Oklahoma Playboys at a Friday-night dance at Jump's Roller Rink in Fairfax, Oklahoma. But it always has been my favorite time of day and a pleasant time of my life. [1] She was briefly billed as Fay Shannon. [3], McKenzie appeared in numerous uncredited roles throughout the 1930s, with occasional credited roles in films such as The Boss Cowboy (1934) as Sally Nolan, and the anti-cannabis propaganda film Assassin of Youth (1937) as Linda Clayton. Visited by more than 430,000 people annually, the museum also has revolving exhibits in its George Montgomery Gallery, currently the Southern California venue for the states exhibit commemorating the 150th anniversary of Californias Gold Rush, titled Gold Fever.. According to IMDb, his birthplace was near Tioga, Texas, on Sept. 29, 1907. Years before, when he was still a railroad telegrapher, Autry had taken a correspondence course in business administration. UPI Focus: Gene Autry dies at 91 - UPI Archives McKenzie was born on February 19, 1918, in Hollywood, California, to show business parents, film actor Eva (ne Heazlitt) and Irish American actor/director Robert McKenzie. Gene Autry - NNDB He was always interested in music and played 100 instruments proficiently. I played semi-pro baseball in Oklahoma. Biography - A Short Wiki His company included such actors as Broncho Billy Anderson, Ben Turpin, and Victor Potel. When he returned from the war, he began solidifying his business interests. (later the title of a 1994 Scott biography), which reached number 22[citation needed] on the country chart. went along. 1949: Records Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the third-best selling single of all time. Among the items in the $54 million museum are an 1870s-era steam fire engine from Nevada, guns owned by Annie Oakley and Wyatt Earp, and costumes of TV's Lone Ranger and Tonto. Lester A. Burnett (he added the final "e" later in life)[2] was born in Summum, Illinois, on March 18, 1911, and grew up in Ravenwood, Missouri. After the war, he went over to Columbia Pictures and obtained a new partner Pat Buttram. My movies were always clean. His roles as honest American heros earned him a reputation as one of country musics most prominent figures. All Rights Reserved. Singing Cowboy Gene Autry sings his signature song "Back in the Saddle Again" from his movie "Back in the Saddle" from Republic Pictures 1941. Autry Qualifi. Death Date. Actress: Six Gun Mesa. This placed him in a friendly rivalry with the other singing cowboy, Roy Rogers, who died three months ago. Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 - February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and other B-movie cowboys. He passed away at his Southern California home, a spokeswoman said. [11] There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. "He said his were kind of fantasies so you couldn't really believe them, but you could be entertained by them.". Gene Autry Family Tree Check All Members List - FamilyTreeX Remembering the Singing Cowboy: Gene Autry's 20th Death Anniversary Their association produced 62 feature-length musical Westerns. Burnette is mentioned in the Statler Brothers' 1973 country music hit "Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott?" Singing cowboy Gene Autry dies of lymphoma at 91.. Autry, born in 1907, got his start singing on the radio in 1928. Updates? In their statement confirming . Melody Trail (1935) $100 per week. Gene Autry was a singing cowboy star of radio, television and the movies and one of the top box office stars of the 1940s. American Actor Gene Autry was born Orvon Grover Autry on 29th September, 1907 in Tioga, TX, USA and passed away on 2nd Oct 1998 Los Angeles, CA, USA aged 91. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed Autry began singing on radio shows in 1928 as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy." This made him an immensely rich man, and he was ranked for years among the top 400 wealthiest Americans by Forbes magazine. When his mount began to tire, instead of stopping for a rest, he merely slipped the saddle onto the spare horse and rode on. Profile: American performer, counted as one of the most important artists in the history of country music, Autry is the only person to be awarded stars in all five categories on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for film, television, music, radio, and live performance. 1940: Stars on the weekly Melody Ranch radio show on CBS Radio Network until 1956 and becomes the fourth biggest box office attraction behind Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. A group headed by Hank Greenberg [the former baseball player] seemed in line for a new [expansion] American League franchise, but its bid collapsed. His Golden West Broadcasters had also included radio stations in San Francisco and Seattle. Mr. Autry was the only entertainer with five stars on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, one each for radio, records, movies, television and live theater. Stomach Ulcer. 1931: Records his first hit, That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine, the first record ever certified gold for selling more than a million copies. He was 91. Born September 29, 1907, on a ranch. Always a collector, he contributed his own memorabilia and art as well as the money and vision for his Griffith Park museum. Levoy was found in the Republic Pictures archives. A three-CD box set of his songs, "Sing, Cowboy, Sing!," was re-released last year. My friends kidded me about going so far on such modest talent, Autry said. In 1991, a letter written in the '30s came to light that said the performer had no future in Hollywood. For his contributions to the film industry, Burnette was inducted posthumously into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986 with a motion pictures star located at 6125 Hollywood Boulevard. Burnette donated his original hat and shirt to the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1962. Missing teens likely among 7 people found dead in Oklahoma, authorities say preliminary acting course was "evidently wasted" and that the He had other famous pastimes, baseball among them. It was mean work for a wiry boy, but ambition made me strong.. Here is all you want to know, and more! Gene Autry, 91, who parlayed his movie and record earnings as Hollywood's first singing cowboy into a financial empire that included the California Angels baseball team, died Oct. 2 at his home in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles. I was fortunate to have kept my name and played myself on the screen. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. He sold KMPC in 1984 for a reported $18 million and KTLA in 1982 for $245 million. Autry wrote many of the songs he performed. Cause of death Unknown. 9 Some Gene Autry cowboy suits were made of flammable fabric. View Site Rudolph was cut in one take during the last few minutes of a recording session in 1949. 10 George-Warren, 182. Gene passed away on October 2, 1998 at the age of 91 in Los Angeles, CA. An inside cover of the record album was white so those with no projector and screen could simply shine a flashlight through the slides and view them on the cover. Friday, October 02, 1998 3:24:11 PM. Gene Autry for sale | eBay When I grew up on the [railroad] line between Texas and Oklahoma, X was not a rating for dirty movies, Autry once said. He just burst into song, she said. Hire the best people you can find, give them trust and loyalty and pay them top money. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. In 1991, a letter written in the '30s came to light that said [2] His career, beginning in 1934, spanned four decades, including a regular role on CBS-TV's Petticoat Junction in the 1960s. The slides were to be projected in order and advanced each time a short tone played on the record during the songs. Remembering Gene Autry: The 'Singing Cowboy' and - SurvivorNet He was 91. He received the Songwriters Guild Life Achievement Award and the Hubert Humphrey Humanitarian of the Year Award. Later, tours with a USO troupe in the South Pacific. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Gene Autry Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information - Legacy.com It was good advice. He first came to Los Angeles in 1934 to appear with Ken Maynard in a movie called Old Santa Fe. But in 1962, a spectacular fire destroyed more than $1 million worth of movie sets, including 54 buildings and countless items Autry had collected, including stagecoaches, guns, Indian relics and his personal film wardrobe. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Gene Autry was previously married to Jacqueline Ellam (1981) and Ina Mae Spivey (1932).. Gene Autry was in a relationship with Nan Leslie.. About. Died: October 2, 1998 (complications from cancer) Birthplace: Tioga . 1989: Unveils replicas of his five Hollywood Walk of Fame stars on the sidewalk in front of the Angels stadium. Gene Autry's Death - Cause and Date - The Celebrity Deaths With the studios no longer interested in making B Westerns, Burnette turned to broadcasting and made guest appearances on many country music radio and TV shows, including Louisiana Hayride, the Grand Ole Opry, and Ranch Party. He sang in only one scene, but it was the most popular of the movie. [1] He was also a prolific singer-songwriter who is reported to have played proficiently over 100 musical instruments, sometimes more than one simultaneously. He ranked on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans for several years and in 1990 was the elite groups only entertainer. He also composed musical scores for such films as The Painted Stallion and Waterfront Lady. He went back to his advertising department in Chicago and told them he had just seen a singing cowboy draw 200,000 in Ireland. 1934: Makes his first film debut In Old Santa Fe, receiving top billing, second was his horse Champion. He was also a savvy businessman who achieved great success dipping his toes in various industries like mining, radio, television, hospitality and much more. Gene Autry retired from motion pictures in 1953, and other cowboy stars had either left the movies or were winding down their screen careers. Throughout his business dealings, Autry collected Western memorabilia and art. #inline-recirc-item--id-91bbf1f4-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { The 2023 Met Gala theme explained, Met Gala 2023 looks: See photos of the show-stopping red carpet arrivals, Mother stung over 75 times by bees but her "quick thinking" saves kids. He first sang on radio in 1928, and then went on to make 95 films and star in a TV show from 1950 to 1956. In 1981, the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame presented him with its first Lifetime Achievement Award.. Smiley Burnette's Horse, Ring Eye. In each of the films, Burnette played Autry's comic sidekick, Frog Millhouse, with his trademark floppy black hat and trick voice (imitating a deep, froglike croak). McKenzie also toured extensively entertaining the troops alongside Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Cary Grant, James Cagney, and old family friends Laurel and Hardy. 1943: Enlists in the Air Force as a flight officer with the Air Transport Command, flying cargo planes in the China-Burma-India theater. Smiley Burnette - Wikipedia "You're good," Rogers is said to have told Autry. To historians, preservationists, artists and lovers of Western lore, Autry was the man who could package the Old West for future generations. Each package contained a 78 rpm record with four of his songs and 15 35 mm slides. Gene Autry, who parlayed a $5 mail order guitar, charm and a smooth voice into a career as Hollywood's first singing cowboy, died Friday. He began singing as a child and learned to play a wide variety of instruments by ear, yet never learned to read or write music. man city relegated to third division; performance horse ranches in texas; celebrities who live in golden oak Published on December 6, 2022 08:00 AM. ina mae spivey cause of death - glassworks.net "My older brothers used to take me to the shows to see Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, all of that you know, the Western movies," said actor Glen Campbell. Carroll O'Connor's Cause of Death: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Autrys other million-sellers were Peter Cottontail, Here Comes Santa Claus, Tumbling Tumbleweeds, You Are My Sunshine, South of the Border, Mexicali Rose and his theme song, Back in the Saddle Again.. Autrys movies all had the same basic plots--save the good guys from the bad guys, never kiss the leading lady or shoot first, sing a song and ride off into the sunset. Autry built a multimillion-dollar fortune in broadcasting and was the original owner of the California Angels baseball team. He stopped performing in the 1950s, after 95 films, nearly 30 years in pictures, and a television program that lasted for six seasons. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. He became the majority owner of the Angels in 1960. His first wife, Ina Spivey, died in 1980. He knew everybody, and I got the job. Alan Autry Death Fact Check, Birthday & Age | Dead or Kicking As the 1960s began, Burnette continued to make personal appearances at drive-ins, fairs, hospitals, town squares, and rodeos. [3] McKenzie sang duets with Autry in each of these films. [2] In 1971, he was inducted posthumously into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Herbert Rawlinson (n le 15 novembre 1885 New Brighton en Angleterre et mort le 12 juillet 1953 ( 67 ans) Los Angeles, en Californie) est un acteur et producteur de cinma britannique . [4] His "Jassackaphone", for example, which he played in the film The Singing Cowboy, resembled an organ with pipes, levers, and pull mechanisms. Kirstie Alley had colon cancer prior to her death on Monday at age 71, a rep for Alley tells PEOPLE. The said museum honored the kind of cowboys Autry had played onscreen. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry (left), a book that opens the door wide on the phenomenon and the man, Orvon Gene Autry, who would have turned 100 on September 29 (Autry died in 1998). In addition to his wife, Autry is survived by a sister, Veda. Buttram's first Autry film was The Strawberry Roan in 1948. [3][8] In 1938, she began to appear mainly in Western films, such as Ghost Town Riders (1938) as Molly Taylor (credited as Fay Shannon), and When the Daltons Rode (1940) as Hannah. Orvon Gene Autry was born Sept. 29, 1907, in Tioga, Texas, population fewer than 500. 1982: Sells KTLA-TV for $245 million and acquires the liquidity to buy out the Signal Co., the California Angels minority owner. }, First published on October 2, 1998 / 3:22 PM. Burnette devised and built some of his unusual musical instruments in his home workshop. Billings, Jim "Comes Long Way from Dwarf Role" (January 20, 1957), The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, "Smiley Burnette, Movie Partner Of Autry and Rogers, Dies at 55. #inline-recirc-item--id-91bbf1f4-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91bbf1f4-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d {