Gene Autry
Gene Autry ( born September 29, 1907 in Tioga Springs, Texas; † October 2, 1998 in Los Angeles ) was an American country singer and actor. He's the only artist stars in all five categories ( film, television, theater, music and radio) on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 3.1 Actors
Life
Youth
Autry began playing guitar as a child and sing. His first musical experience was gained at a " Medicine Show ", the hoofed it from year to year market market. After leaving school Gene Autry worked since June 18, 1925 as temporary - Telegrafierer in St. Louis - San Francisco Railway, where he worked as an employee of dispatcher Jimmy Long. Both were passionate about music and intensified their cooperation in the music sector. Jimmy Long was the professional head of Gene Autry and for the 18 years his junior, Autry privately a mentor who contributed compositions and the vocal harmonies took over.
Career as a country singer
The beginning of 1929 he went with a free ride his railroad to New York to audition at the local record companies. But it was only his second visit to the East Coast was successful. While Autry since 9 October 1929 made music recordings, Jimmy Long took on 1 or December 2, 1930 Silver Haired Daddy That his composition of mine with Cliff Keiser duet in a small recording studio in Richmond ( Indiana) on. The single was released in the small record label Champion Records (# 16190 ). So Long / Keiser regarded as the artist of the original. It is unclear whether Autry and Long had the piece composed together or whether Long is the sole copyright owner. The ARC director and music producer Arthur E. Satherley went from Long out as the sole composer. Probably Autry has slightly - if at all - worked, at least he is registered as a Co-author of ASCAP. Autry told the Chicago Tribune in 1983 that he came up with the idea for the song by a piece titled Dear Old Daddy, You've Been More Than a Mother To Me.
In 1931, Autry took alternately same for several record labels on, because he first played on January 29, 1937 six songs for Gennett Records, a, on 17 February 1931, he took for the American Record Corporation ( ARC) on four pieces, already at 18 February. , 1931 he stood with four songs for the Victor Talking Machine Company in front of the microphone. On February 25, 1931, in turn, created six shots for ARC.
During the recording session on October 29, 1931 originated first three pieces in the ARC Studios New York before That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine by Autry was recorded. In this and two subsequent pieces Autrey and Long sang a duet. As another occupation Roy Smeck ( banjo, steel guitar ) and Frank Marvin ( steel guitar ) were present. Three additional songs were recorded for ARC on the following October 30, 1931. On the same day Autry moved the recording studio and took six pieces for Victor along with Long to as The Long Brothers, four more he sang during this session only with his guitar for Victor. Record for several labels was not unusual at that time, because only big stars were exclusively bound to a label.
Finally, he signed in 1933 at ARC, which belonged to the department store group Sears Roebuck. Photos by Gene Autry published soon in the mail-order catalogs and helped to make him known nationally. He also appeared regularly in the most popular at this time radio show on The National Barn Dance.
Autry's musical breakthrough came in January 1932 with That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine. From this single until 1940 more than five million copies were sold. The label tried to exploit this success in publishing, and overlaid a record publicity with a gold bronze plating, as the end of 1932 a total of 500,000 copies were sold. The first unofficial gold record in music history was born. There was a long series of other hits. Gene Autry was in his mid -thirties one of the most popular singer in America. For his film The Singing Hill he took on 20 August 1940, a cover version of Blueberry Hill, which was later in the cover versions of artists such as Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley and Little Richard classic.
Career as an actor
1934 Hollywood tried a new type of Western movie to create, in which a "Singing Cowboy" in mind. The former Stars not have a sufficient vocal abilities (including also dabbled John Wayne in his early days as a singing cowboy ), and so was Gene Autry from the studio, which was not related to his RAC label for Ken Maynard westerns In Old Santa Fe hired. Although genes occurred only in one scene, the experiment a resounding success was. There were other films with increasingly more important roles. Over the next year he starred in about 90 films. Every six weeks, a new Western was produced. Gene Autry had become the main star of the B- Western, its popularity has quite the could measure by established actors like Clark Gable.
In 1942 he participated for several years in the Second World War and fought as a pilot in North Africa and the Far East. Meanwhile, his rival Roy Rogers had gained ground and overtook him in popularity. Autry continued to produce films, but could not build on the previous successes. His music career had not suffered. In 1949 he played with Rudolph, the Red- Nosed Reindeer one of his most successful single, which has sold over nine million copies. Mid-fifties, he was finally forced out of the emerging rock ' n ' roll.
Business success
Gene Autry focused in the following years, primarily on its business activities. He bought several radio and television stations, founded a music publishing and even acquired a baseball team, the California Angels. He also owned a hotel chain. He was considered one of the wealthiest figures in the country scene. In 1969 he received the highest award that has to forgive the country music: He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, an honor that was only a very few have fallen to during his lifetime.
Gene Autry died on 2 October 1998 at the age of 91 years.
Freemasonry
Autry was a Freemason and was the Catoosa Lodge No.. 185 raised to the Master.