On January 2, 1974, Tex Ritter, one of the last singing cowboys of the 20th century, died in the Metro Jail in Nashville—but not because of any wrongdoing on his part. The Country Music Hall of Famer and prolific film actor and recording artist suffered a fatal heart attack while filling out bail paperwork for his lead guitar player, who was in jail for not paying child support. His family later speculated that his actual cause of death was an aortic aneurysm, not a heart attack.
Ritter left behind a monumental musical legacy at the time of his death at 68 years old. He was a founding member of the Country Music Association and helped in the effort to establish the Country Music Hall of Fame. Ritter was also a lifetime member of the Grand Ole Opry.
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Four years before Ritter’s death, he ran for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee. He lost to Bill Brock. Ritter continued acting and recording after his political loss, including the films The Marshal of Windy Hollow and Sing a Country Song and the album Super Country Legendary.
Tex Ritter Had a Prolific Film, Music, TV, and Radio Career
Tex Ritter was a true multi-hyphenate, enjoying a decades-long career that stretched across radio, music, television, and film. He had a string of Top 10 hits in the 1940s, including “You Will Have to Pay”, “I’m Wastin’ My Tears on You”, “You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often”, “There’s a New Moon Over My Shoulder”, and “Jealous Heart”. In between music releases, he appeared in over 70 movies. After television became more popular in the mid-1950s, Ritter transitioned to TV appearances like Town Hall Party and Ranch Party.
Interestingly, in addition to his lengthy discography and filmography, Ritter’s legacy lives on in his voice via an animatronic bear called Big Al at the Country Bear Jamboree attraction at Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, Japan. Big Al also appeared at the Disney World Magic Kingdom attraction and Disneyland in Florida and California.
The Ritter family continued to play a major role in the entertainment industry after Tex’s death. The country star’s son, John Ritter, starred as Jack Tripper in the popular sitcom Three’s Company in the late 1970s and early 1980s. John’s son, Jason, is also an actor with credits that include Joan of Arcadia, Gravity Falls, and Matlock.
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