Mia Grund

Gene Autry
Historical Figure

GENE AUTRY

Gene Autry was a very talented individual! Not only did he have an amazing childhood,
he also had an outstanding family, he influenced western singers, he had a talent for singing,
and had a wonderful life!
Gene Autry had an interesting childhood. He was born September 29, 1907 in Tioga,
Texas. Unfortunately Genes mother died when he was four in 1911. After she died, he moved to
Oklahoma in 1912. Autry played golf and baseball when he was a kid. Later on in his teen
years he starting singing in church. When he was 16 he started working at the local railroad
station. At 19, while working at the telegraph line, one of his customers listened to him sing and
recommended the radio!
In 1927 he got his first job as an actor in Oklahomas
Yodeling Cowboy. In 1930 he performed in That Silver- Haired
Daddy of Mine. He got on the radio in the early 1930s and in 1931
he got a spot in The National Barn Dance.
He had two lovely marriages. He was first married to Ina Mae
Autry for forty-eight years until she sadly passed away. In 1981 he
happily got married again to Jackie Autry.
After he married his first wife (Ina Mae Spivey Autry), he moved to
Hollywood to conquer his dreams of becoming an actor and singer!
When he got there he had a major film debut in The Phantom Empire. In 1937 he was in the
movie The Singing Cowboy. In 1938 he was filmed in a movie The Rhythm of the Saddle. He
also filmed Sioux City Sue in 1942. In 1942 he also served as a pilot in World War II from 19421945. He returned to the world of music in 1949 with the hit song Rudolph the Red - Nosed

Reindeer. In 1950 he became a star in the emerging medium of television. He produced his
own T.V. series, The Gene Autry Show. He had two lovely marriages. He lost his wife in 1980.
He then got married one year later to Jacky Autry. He then sadly died October 2, 1998.
Gene had many achievements. In 1961 he became the owner and vice president of the
Los Angeles Angels, which are now the Anaheim Angels.
He also influenced western singers, participated and sang in a movie called Tumbling
Tumbleweeds (thats how he became the singing cowboy,) and his western music went viral. It
went viral because in 1926 when he was manning the telegraph line, one of his customers, Will
Rogers, got a song played for him in Genes office. Will
Rogers thought it was amazing and recommended the
radio! In 1927 Autry got his first job on Oklahomas
Yodeling Cowboy. In 1930 he got on That Silver
-Haired Daddy of Mine. He sang on the radio in the
early 1930s.
He had many beautiful songs. Some of his
famous songs were Back in the Saddle Again,
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Peter Rabbit Cottontail, Happy Trails, and an original
song he wrote, Here Comes Santa Claus. He created some music that helped westerners
become more famous.
Gene Autry wanted to be remembered as a friend to all and remembered as someone
that did his best and was always a cowboy!
Gene Autry lived a long life of 91 years but on October 2, 1998 he sadly died of
lymphoma, a disease of the lymph nodes.
Some of his landmarks are The Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Museum of
Contemporary Art and he was honored by the Los Angeles Angels. Gene Autry was an amazing
man! Not only did he influence western singers but also was a friend to all.

Gene autry timeline

radio

Born in 1907
Mom died in 1911
Moved to Oklahoma in 1912
started working at the local railroad station in 1923
later started manning the telegraph line
In 1926 he played a song for one of his customers and he recommended the
In 1927 he got his first job on the Oklahomas Yodeling Cowboy
In 1930 he got in That silver haired daddy of mine
Got on the radio in the early 1930s
In 1931 he got a spot in the National Barn Dance
In the mid 1930s he married Ina Mae Spivey
Headed west to conquer his dreams of becoming a singer in Hollywood
In 1935 he made a major film debut, The phantom empire
In 1937 he was in the movie The Singing Cowboy
In 1938 he was filmed in a movie The Rhythm of the Saddle
He also filmed Sioux City Sue in 1942
In World War II he served as a pilot from 1942-1945
He returned to the world of music in 1949 with his hit song Rudolph the Red -

Nosed Reindeer
In 1950 he became a star in an emerging medium
He then produced a T.V series, The Gene Autry Show
Lost his wife in 1980
In 1981 he got married to Jacky Autry
In 1998 Gene Autry died of lymphoma