Born 119 Years Ago in Texas, the Singing Cowboy and Movie Star Who Was the First To Sell Out Madison Square Garden

On this day (September 29) in 1907, Orvon Grover Autry was born in Tioga, Texas. Most remember him as Gene Autry–the legendary singing cowboy, movie star, and hit recording artist. He was a talented singer, guitarist, and businessman. During one of his world tours, he became the first act to sell out Madison Square Garden. Autry also inspired countless performers to follow in his footsteps.

Autry got his first taste of being on stage when he was a child singing in his grandfather’s church choir. Then, he learned to play guitar and took his talents elsewhere. He began playing and singing at events in the Tioga area. Eventually, his family relocated to Oklahoma, where he spent a short time working on the railroad. One evening, Will Rogers heard him singing and suggested he pursue a music career. When he was 19, Autry left the Sooner State for New York, where he hoped to land a record deal.

Before long, he returned to Oklahoma without a recording contract. However, he was still determined to become an entertainer. According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, he spent two years performing on KVOO in Tulsa. His Jimmie Rodgers covers earned him the moniker “Oklahoma’s Yodeling Cowboy.” In the days before the Great Depression began, he returned to New York and recorded for multiple companies, which distributed the records nationwide.

Art Satherly, an A&R man for American Record Corporation, told Autry he should focus on Western songs. Satherly also suggested he cultivate a cowboy image. That turned out to be the most important career advice he’d ever received.

Gene Autry Kicks Off the Singing Cowboy Craze

In 1934, Gene Autry appeared in the film In Old Santa Fe as part of a cowboy quartet. He took a few more small roles before he was given the lead role in The Phantom Empire, a 12-part sci-fi-Western serial the next year. He played himself as a singing cowboy who finds an underground civilization below his ranch. This was just the beginning.

Over the next four years, Autry made more than 40 more films in which he played the singing cowboy. These were incredibly popular and made him the biggest star on the Republic Films roster. Moreover, his popularity made other studios find their own singing cowboys to compete with Autry. While he wasn’t the first actor to portray the archetype, he was the most influential.

He wasn’t just acting during this time. He was also regularly recording new songs. Autry also wrote a good portion of the songs he recorded. His rising star in Hollywood helped pull his singles up the charts.

Autry’s Recording Career

Gene Autry landed his first top 10 hit on the pop chart in 1935 with “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.” Two more hits followed that year–“That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine” and “Ole Faithful.” Four years later, he notched the first of many country chart-toppers with “Paradise in the Moonlight.”

Nearly every single he released over the next decade landed within the top 10 of the country chart. A dozen of those went to No. 1. Autry found his last top 10 hit with “Old Soldiers Never Die” in 1951.

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Today, he is widely remembered for his Christmas songs. He released hit recordings of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” He wrote and recorded “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane).”

His starring film roles and hit singles translated to lucrative tours in the United States and Europe. According to his biography, his tours included concerts and rodeo performances. In 1956, he became the first performer to sell out New York’s Madison Square Garden. He did two shows a day, seven days a week, for months at a time.

Gene Autry Did It All

Gene Autry didn’t stop at being a major movie star, a hit recording artist, and one of the biggest touring acts in the country. He also owned several radio and TV stations on the West Coast. His presence in the broadcasting business led to his ownership of the Los Angeles Angels, the city’s first MLB team.

In the late 1930s and early ’40s, most kids were playing with Gene Autry-branded cap guns. Many of those kids were also likely reading the comic books in which he was the hero.

In short, Autry was involved in nearly every facet of the entertainment industry for decades. His impact on music, film, and culture is hard to overstate.

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