HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

The Early Country Western of Gene Autry

Gene Autry

Country became "country western" due largely to Gene Autry who had been recording such in duets with Jimmie Long back east in New York City, Richmond and Chicago a few years before arriving in Hollywood where the film industry would become largely responsible for the genre. It would require a couple of decades, though, for the folk-purist 'Grand Ole Opry' in Nashville to finally ease C&W performances onto its conservative stage, deeming country western, particularly swing with drums and horn, to be other than genuine country.

Born Orvon Grover Autry on 29 September 1907, in Tioga, Texas, Autry would compose titles like 'Way Out West in Texas' in 1933, 'Dear Old Western Skies' in 1935 and 'You're the Only Star (In My Blue Heaven)' in 1936. Discogs comments that he co-wrote more than 300 titles, among which were such as 'Here Comes Santa Claus' with Oakley Haldeman in 1947 and 'Cowboy Blues' with Cindy Walker the same year.

Autry started working as a telegrapher for the railroad at age sixteen. He often sang and played guitar in the wee hours, which is said to have gotten him fired. But not before humorist, Will Rogers, purportedly heard him play and advised him to try to break into radio. Whence Autry secured his first radio spot as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy" at a station in Tulsa in 1927. DAHR has a Gene Autry recording 'Darling' in Chicago with the Tune Peddlers in December of 1928 toward issue on Vocalion 15745. Not much more can be learned about that track and DAHR is known for confusing artists with the same name. Since that recording isn't listed in Tony Russell's 'Country Music Records' (CMR) it likely refers to a different Gene Autry.

In 1929 Autry left for New York City to record what Russell shows to be his initial titles on October 9, 1929: 'My Dreaming of You' / 'My Alabama Home' (Victor 40200). Those were vocal duets w Jimmie (Jimmy) Long. CMR also has Frank and Johnny Marvin contributing steel guitar to that session. Both Long and Frank Marvin would partner with Autry for several years, Marvin to as late as the 'Gene Autry Show' in the fifties.

'My Dreaming of You' Gene Autry

Recorded 9 Oct 1929 at Liederkranz Hall in NYC Matrix BVE-56761 Victor 40200

Steel guitar / yodel: Frankie Marvin Steel guitar: Johnny Marvinpan

Composition: Frankie Marvin

'My Alabama Home' Gene Autry

Recorded 9 Oct 1929 at Liederkranz Hall in NYC Matrix BVE-56762 Victor 40200

Steel guitar / yodel: Frankie Marvin Steel guitar: Johnny Marvinpan

Composition: Jimmie Long

Shortly later in October of 1929 Autry spread along a string of titles like 'Stay Away from My Chicken House' (Grey Gull 4314) and 'Cowboy Yodel' (Grey Gull 4304). Frank Marvin backed him on 'My Oklahoma Home' (Grey Gull 4281) and 'I'll Be Thinking of You Little Gal' (QRS 1044).

'Stay Away From My Chicken House' Gene Autry (yodel)

Recorded 5 Dec 1929 in NYC Matrix 149687 Clarion 5155-C

Steel guitar: Frankie Marvin

Composition: Frankie Marvin

'Waiting for a Train' Gene Autry

Recorded 5 Dec 1929 in NYC Matrix 149688 Clarion 5155-C

Composition: Jimmie Rodgers

Autry also used pseudonyms like Johnny Dodds, Sam Hill, John Hardy, Tom Long, Hank Bennett and Overton Hatfield. He recorded 'She Wouldn't Do It' as Gene Johnson in March of 1931, that issued on Timely Tunes C 1551 on the backside of Jimmie Rodgers' 'Jimmie the Kid'. Another alias he used was Jimmie Smith, recording such as 'Valley in the Hills' / 'I’m Blue and Lonesome' in April of 1931 with Frank Marvin (Timely Tunes C 1555). In June of 1932 he and Jimmie Long recorded 'The Ramshackle Shack' as Clayton & Green, that on Broadway 4093 with 'The Crime I Didn't Do' flip side issued as Bob Clayton.

Autry's country western was all recorded back East in New York City, Richmond, Indiana, and Chicago, Illinois, before arriving in Hollywood to make his first films. Chicago was "western" only insofar as that had been a chief destination of a lot of cattle cars loaded by a lot of cowboys at points west like Abilene, where ended such as the Chisholm Trail which routed cattle drives through Texas. Autry's first sessions in Chicago per CMR were on January 27, 1933, for such as 'Cowboy's Heaven' / 'The Little Old Ranch House on the Old Circle' (Victor 23783).

Autry began to get noticed on the charts with 'The Last Round-Up' reaching #12 in 1933. His first Top Ten title was 'Ole Faithful' which achieved #10 in 1935. Below is a list of Autry's Top Ten releases. A few like 'Peter Cottontail' charted well on multiple occasions but are listed only once on their first. 'Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)' and 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer' have been traditionally released every Christmas season for well above seventy years and yet acquire respectable positions on Billboard.

   Ole Faithful   #10   1935
   That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine   #7   1935
   Tumbling Tumbleweeds   #10   1935
   I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes   #3   Jan 1944
   I Hang My Head and Cry   #4   April 1944
   Gonna Build a Big Fence Around Texas   #2   Feb 1945
   Don't Fence Me In   #4   Feb 1945
   At Mail Call Today   #1   April 1945
   I'll Be Back   #7   April 1945
   Don't Hang Around Me Anymore   #4   Oct 1945
   Don't Live a Lie   #4   Dec 1945
   I Want to Be Sure   #4   Dec 1945
   Silver Spurs (On the Golden Stairs)   #4   Feb 1946
   I Wish I Had Never Met Sunshine   #3   May 1946
   Wave to Me, My Lady   #4   June 1946
   You Only Want Me When You're Lonely   #7   July 1946
   Have I Told You Lately That I Love You   #3   Oct 1946
   Someday You'll Want Me to Want You   #4   Oct 1946
   You're Not My Darlin' Anymore   #3   Feb 1947
   Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)   #5 Country   #9 Pop   Dec 1947
   Buttons and Bows   #6   Nov 1948
   Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer   #1 Country   #1 Pop   Dec 1949
   Peter Cottontail   #3 Country   #5 Pop   April 1950
   Frosty the Snow Man   #4 Country   #7 Pop   Dec 1950
   Old Soldiers Never Die   #9   June 1951

Come the release in 1934 of Autry's first two of 93 films, 'In Old Santa Fe' and 'Mystery Mountain'. Five films ensued in 1935: 'The Phantom Empire', 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds', 'Melody Trail', 'The Sagebrush Troubadour' and 'The Singing Vagabond'.

'In Old Santa Fe' Gene Autry First film (entire)

Directed by David Howard / Joseph Kane Released 15 Nov 1934

IMDb Wikipedia

Autry was in Dallas in September of 1935, again with Jimmie Long, to string along such as 'Vine Covered Cabin in the Valley' / 'I'd Love a Home in the Mountains' (Conqueror 8582). Eight more films not intended as masterpieces followed in 1936 from 'Red River Valley' to such as 'The Singing Cowboy' and 'The Old Corral'.

'Red River Valley' Gene Autry Film (entire)

Directed by B. Reeves Eason Released 2 March 1936

Composition of 'Red River Valley'

IMDb Wikipedia

CMR has Autry's first recording session in Los Angeles with Art Davis at fiddle on May 12, 1936, for such as 'The Answer to Nobody's Darling' (Conqueror 86850). Russell's CMR shows last duets with Long on November 24, 1937, for such as 'There's a Gold Mine in the Sky' / 'Sail Along Silv'ry Moon' (Conqueror 8960). The pilot for Autry's CBS radio program sponsored by Doublemint Gum, 'Melody Ranch', aired on December 31, 1939 to stretch to August of 1943.

'South of the Border' Gene Autry From the film 'South of the Border'

Directed by George Sherman Released 15 Dec 1939

Composition: Jimmy Kennedy / Michael Carr

IMDb Wikipedia

'Blueberry Hill' Gene Autry

Recorded 20 Aug 1940 in Hollywood Matrix LA2311

OKeh 05779 Conqueror 9545 Columbia 20485

Steel guitar: Frankie Marvin Accordion: Paul Sells

Violin: Spade Cooley / Carl Cotner

Guitar: Eddie Tudor Upright Bass: Walter Jecker

Music: Vincent Rose Lyrics: Al Lewis / Larry Stock

'You Are My Sunshine' Gene Autry

Recorded 18 June 1941 in Hollywood Matrix H315 OKeh 06274

Steel guitar: Frankie Marvin Accordion: Paul Sells

Violin: Carl Cotner / Mischa Russell

Guitar: Johnny Bond Upright Bass: Dick Reinhart

Composition: Jimmie Davis / Charles Mitchell 1939

'Deep in the Heart of Texas' Gene Autry

Recorded 24 Feb 1942 in Hollywood Matrix H677 OKeh 06643 Columbia 37410

Trumpet: Don Linder Clarinet: Joe Krechter

Steel guitar: Frankie Marvin Accordion: Paul Sells Violin: Carl Cotner

Guitar: Johnny Bond Upright Bass: Fred Whiting

Music: Don Swander Lyrics: June Hershey

World War II saw Autry serving in the Air Force as a fighter pilot, after which 'Melody Ranch' aired from September of 1945 to May of 1956. Autry had been the man of the hour after 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds' in 1935 into fifties. Billboard began tabulating per its Jukebox Folk (Hot Country) category in 1944 and Autry was there to hog the list from the start with 'I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes' at #3 in January. Other of Autry's well-known songs were such as 'At Mail Call Today' in 1945 and 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' in 1949. Even Autry's horse had its own radio show in 1949 and 1950 called 'The Adventures of Champion'. In 1950 Autry premiered 'The Gene Autry Show', that to run 91 episodes through six seasons with numerous appearances by Frank Marvin.

'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' Gene Autry w the Pinafores

Recorded 27 June 1949 in Hollywood

Music: Johnny Marks Poem: Robert May

'Frosty the Snowman' Gene Autry

Recorded 12 June 1950 in Hollywood Matrix HCO 4094 Columbia 38907

Composition: Walter Rollins / Steve Nelson

Autry retired as an entertainer in 1964 to become an investor in real estate, the entertainment industry and baseball. Beyond music, from 1942 onward Autry had gotten involved in the rodeo business, supplying rodeo stock, which would later become the World Championship Rodeo Company. Gene died on October 2, 1998, of blood cancer [obit], having issued well above 600 recordings which would sell more than 100 million copies. As to trivia, a white cowboy hat autographed by Autry sold not so long ago for $2500. Hats autographed by Roy Rogers have drawn similar prices.

Sources & References for Gene Autry:

Bruce Eder (All Music) VF History (notes) Wikipedia

Associates Musical:

Jimmy Long: Discogs Bruce Eder Second Hand Songs

The Pinafores (vocal trio): Discogs Second Hand Songs

Audio of Autry: YouTube

Autobiographies: Back in the Saddle Again (1978)

Compositions: Music Brainz Music VF Second Hand Songs

Documentaries:

Gene Autry: America's Cowboy (directed by Robert A. Strout / 2000)

Gene Autry: White Hat, Silver Screen (directed by Rick Reid / 2007)

Autry in Film: IMDb