Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene AutryThe only performer to earn 5 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Gene Autry was the singing cowboy king of American entertainment. Now, in Public Cowboy No.1, Holly George-Warren offers the first serious biography of this singular individual, in a fascinating narrative that traces Autry's climb from small-town farm boy to multimillionaire. Here for the first time Autry the legend becomes a flesh-and-blood man--with all the passions, triumphs, and tragedies of a flawed icon. George-Warren recounts stories never before told, including revelations about Autry's impoverished boyhood, his adventures as an up-and-coming singer, and the impact his unbelievable success had on his personal life. The book provides equally colorful details of Autry's lengthy radio and recording career, which included such classics as "Back in the Saddle Again" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"; his movie career, where he breathed new life into the Western genre; and his role in early television. And along the way, we see how he invested shrewdly in radio, real-estate, and television, becoming the only entertainer listed among 1990's Fortune 400. Based on exclusive access to Gene Autry's personal papers, as well as interviews with more than 100 relatives, employees, colleagues, and friends, this engaging biography brings to life a major Hollywood star--a man who, more than anyone else, put Western music and style on the American cultural map. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
1 The Autrys and the Ozments | 5 |
2 Cross Timbers | 11 |
3 Tioga | 18 |
4 Workin on the Railroad | 24 |
5 Musical Mentors | 32 |
6 A New Name a New Profession | 37 |
7 The Oklahoma Yodeling Cowboy | 42 |
23 Public Cowboy No 1 | 162 |
24 Strike | 169 |
25 At Home and Abroad | 176 |
26 Melody Ranch | 184 |
27 A Town Called Gene Autry | 194 |
28 War | 201 |
29 Sergeant Gene Autry | 212 |
30 Dont Fence Me In | 221 |
8 Hillbilly Recording Artist | 50 |
9 Midwestern Buckaroo | 56 |
10 Uncle Art | 63 |
11 From High Steppin Mama to Silver Haired Daddy | 71 |
12 Sweet Home Chicago | 78 |
13 The Singing and Yodeling Marvel | 85 |
14 Motherless Son | 93 |
15 WLS Radio Star | 101 |
16 Cowboy Balladeer | 109 |
17 Smiley Patsy and Pee Wee | 118 |
18 Celluloid Cowboy | 125 |
19 Negotiations by Post | 132 |
20 Republic Pictures Star | 140 |
21 BattlesOn Screen and Off | 147 |
22 The Singing Cowboy | 155 |
31 Back in the Saddle | 230 |
32 Gene Autry Inc | 239 |
33 From Horses to Reindeer From Big Screen to Small | 249 |
34 Last of the Pony Riders | 260 |
35 On the Road Againand Again | 272 |
36 The Last RoundUp | 284 |
EPILOGUE | 300 |
NOTES | 303 |
SOURCES | 330 |
GENE AUTRY RECORDING SESSIONS | 337 |
FILMOGRAPHY | 382 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 386 |
| 391 | |
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Common terms and phrases
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