Orvon Grover Autry (1907 - 1998)

Born 29 Sep 1907 in Tioga, Grayson, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Ina Mae (Spivey) Autry — married 1 Apr 1932 in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA

Died 2 Oct 1998 at age 91 in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kathi Melton [send private message]

Biography

Gene Autry is Notable.

Gene Autry "The Singing Cowboy", was a star of radio, screen, and television. His songs Back in the Saddle Again and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer are his most well known. On his radio show, Gene Autry's Melody Ranch, he created the Cowboy Code:

• The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
• He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
• He must always tell the truth.
• He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
• He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
• He must help people in distress.
• He must be a good worker.
• He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
• He must respect women, parents, and his nation's laws.
• The Cowboy is a patriot.

Orvon's parents moved to Oklahoma where he attended school. In 1925, he became a telegrapher for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway in Missouri. During the long quiet night shifts, he would play guitar and sing to keep himself occupied and, on one of those nights, Will Rogers heard him and encouraged him to sing professionally.

Gene with Smiley Burnett.

Once he could save up enough money, Gene headed to New York and auditioned for Victor Records. He didn't get a contract and began singing for radio stations to get experience. In 1928, Autry was on KVOO (now KFAQ) and known as The Yodeling Cowboy. Columbia Records signed him in 1929 and had his own radio show in Chicago in 1931. It was here he met the singer-songwriter Smiley Burnett

Oh Susanna!.

Nat Levine, the film producer, was impressed with Gene and Smiley and, in 1934, were given their film debut in the western In Old Santa Fe. In 1936, Gene and Smiley worked together in Oh Susanna! Gene Autry and Smiley Burnett were in 44 B-Westerns together from 1934 to 1940.

Gene put his Singing Cowboy career on hold during World War II. He served in the Army Air Force and, while he was absent from films, Roy Rogers took his place as the top star for Republic Pictures. When Autry returned, he finished his contract with Republic, then, after 1951, formed his own production company.

Gene Autry purchased the 110-acre Monogram Movie Ranch in 1953 and renamed it the Melody Ranch (after his movie, Melody Ranch). He then sold most of the acreage and kept just 12 acres to set up as a western movie lot. It had a western town, adobes, ranch cabins, and some open land. In August of 1962, a brushfire destroyed most of the original sets but it was still in good enough shape to film the TV show Combat! there. Today, the Melody Ranch Museum is open year-round.

Gene Autry died of lymphoma on October 2, 1998 at his home in Studio City, California. He is buried at the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. His epitaph reads:

Gene Autry, 1907-1998.

• America's Favorite Cowboy
• American Hero
• Philanthropist
• Patriot and Veteran
• Movie Star
• Singer
• Composer
• Baseball Fan and Owner
• 33rd Degree Mason
• Media Entrepreneur
• Loving Husband
• Gentleman

Sources

See also:

• Wikipedia contributors, "Gene Autry," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gene_Autry&oldid=751826693 (accessed November 28, 2016)
• Wikidata: Item Q342723, en:Wikipedia
• United States Census, 1910
• Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936
• Oklahoma, School Records, 1895-1936
• United States Census, 1930
• Find A Grave Memorial [Find a Grave, database and images (Find A Grave: Memorial #3739: accessed 02 August 2022), memorial page for Gene Autry (29 Sep 1907–2 Oct 1998), Find a Grave Memorial ID 3739, citing Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.]
• "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8G4-R5R : 5 December 2014), Orvon G Autry, enlisted 26 Jul 1942, Chicago, Illinois, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 126323, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.