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GENE AUTRY, 1907-1998
1907: Born Orvon Gene Autry , Sept 29, 1907in Tioga, Texas , to a Texas
horse trader and his wife.
1928: Begins a radio career on Tulsa radio station at the urging of
humorist Will Rogers who heard him sing while working as a railroad
telegrapher in Oklahoma.
1931: Records his first hit, "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine," the
first record ever certified gold for selling more than a million copies.
1932: Marries Ina Mae Spivey, a one-time Oklahoma schoolteacher.
1934: Makes his first film debut "In Old Santa Fe," receiving top
billing, second was his horse Champion.
1937: Becomes America's Favorite Cowboy, voted the Number 1 Western
Star by the theater exhibitors of America , a rank he held through 1942.
1940: Stars on the weekly "Melody Ranch" radio show on CBS Radio
Network until 1956 and becomes the fourth biggest box office attraction
behind Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. Stars on the weekly
"Melody Ranch Show" on the CBS Radio Network until 1956.
1941: "Be Honest With Me" nominated for Academy Award.
1943: Enlists in the Air Force as a flight officer with the Air
Transport Command, flying cargo planes in the China-Burma-India theater.
Later, tours with a USO troupe in the South Pacific
1946: Resumes movie career and begins investing his show-business
fortune in radio and TV stations, hotels and real estate.
1949: Records "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," the third-best selling
single of all time.
1950: Becomes the first major motion picture star to enter television
with "The Gene Autry Show," producing and starring in 91 half-hour episodes
until 1955. Records "Peter Cottontail," which goes on to sell more than 2
million copies.
1953: Retires from films after appearing in 93 feature films, including
"Phantom Empire" (1934) and "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds" (1935).
1960: Purchases the American League's California Angels (now the
Anaheim Angels) for $2.5 million.
1964: Buys KTLA-TV for $12 million.
1978: Autry's biography "Back in the Saddle Again" hits bookstores.
1980: Autry's wife, Ina Mae dies.
1981: Autry, 73, marries bank executive Jackie Ellam, 39.
1982: Sells KTLA-TV for $245 million and acquires the liquidity to buy
out the Signal Co., the California Angels minority owner.
1988: The 148,000-square-foot Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum opens
in Griffith Park.
1989: Unveils replicas of his five Hollywood Walk of Fame stars on the
sidewalk in front of the Angels' stadium.
1991: The City of Anaheim names a street running into the stadium Gene
Autry Way.
1993: "Back in the Saddle" (1940) returns to charts as part of
"Sleepless in Seattle" movie soundtrack.
1995: The Walt Disney Co. buys 25% of the Anaheim Angels for $30
million with an option to buy the rest upon Autry's death.
1998: Autry, 91, dies at his Studio City home after a long illness.
Surving are his widow Jackie and sister Veda
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