Gene Autry | |
|---|---|
 Autry in 1942 | |
| Born | Orvon Grover Autry (1907-09-29)September 29, 1907 Tioga, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 1998(1998-10-02) (aged 91) |
| Burial place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California |
| Other names |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1925–1964 |
| Spouses | |
| Relatives | Randy Quaid (first cousin twice removed) Dennis Quaid (first cousin twice removed)[1] Jack Quaid (first cousin three times removed) Jenna Davis (great grand-niece) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
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| Labels | |
Musical artist | |
| Website | geneautry |
Orvon Grover "Gene"Autry[2] (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998),[3] nicknamedthe Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in acrooning style onradio, infilms, and ontelevision for more than three decades, beginning in the early 1930s. During that time, he personified the straight-shooting hero—honest, brave, and true.[4]
Autry was the owner of a television station and several radio stations in Southern California. From 1961 to 1997, he was the founding owner of theCalifornia Angels[Note 1] franchise ofMajor League Baseball (MLB).
From 1934 to 1953, Autry appeared in 93 motion pictures. Between 1950 and 1956, he hostedThe Gene Autry Show television series. In many of them, he appeared withChampion, hisMorgan horse.
Autry was also one of the most important pioneering figures in the history ofcountry music, considered the second major influential artist of the genre's development afterJimmie Rodgers.[4] His films were the first media vehicle to carry Western music to a nationwide audience.[4]
In addition to his signature song "Back in the Saddle Again", as well as his recording hit "At Mail Call Today", Autry is still remembered for his association withChristmas music, having debuted the seasonal standards "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Frosty the Snowman", and "Here Comes Santa Claus".
Autry is a member of both theCountry Music Hall of Fame and theNashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is the only person to be awarded stars in all five categories on theHollywood Walk of Fame, for film, television, music, radio, and live performance.[5]
The town ofGene Autry, Oklahoma, was named in his honor, as was the Gene Autry precinct inMesa, Arizona.[6]
Autry was born September 29, 1907, nearTioga inGrayson County, Texas,[7] the grandson of aMethodist preacher. His parents, Delbert Autry and Elnora Ozment, moved in the 1920s toRavia inJohnston County in southern Oklahoma. Gene Autry worked on his father's ranch while growing up and going to school. In 1925, Autry left the family ranch. With only his high school education, Autry became atelegrapher[8] for theSt. Louis–San Francisco Railway. His talent at singing and playing guitar led to performing at local dances.
While working as atelegraph operator inChelsea, Oklahoma, Autry would sing and accompany himself on the guitar to pass the lonely hours, especially when he had the midnight shift. This later got him fired. One night, he was encouraged to sing professionally by a customer, humoristWill Rogers, who had heard him singing.[9][10][11]
As soon as he could save money to travel, he went to New York. In the autumn of 1928, he auditioned for theVictor Talking Machine Company, shortly before purchase byDavid Sarnoff'sRadio Corporation of America (RCA). According toNathaniel Shilkret,[12] director of Light Music for Victor at the time, Autry asked to speak to Shilkret after finding that he had been turned down. Shilkret explained to Autry that he was turned down not because of his voice, but because Victor had just made contracts with two similar singers. Autry left with a letter of introduction from Shilkret and the advice to sing on radio to gain experience and to come back in a year or two. In 1928, Autry was singing onTulsa radio station KVOO (nowKOTV) as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy". The Victor archives[13] show an October 9, 1929, entry stating that the vocal duet of Jimmie Long and Gene Autry with twoHawaiian guitars, directed by L. L. Watson, recorded "My Dreaming of You" (Matrix 56761) and "My Alabama Home" (Matrix 56762).
Autry signed a recording deal withColumbia Records in 1929. He worked inChicago on theWLS-AM radio showNational Barn Dance for four years, and with his own show, where he met singer-songwriterSmiley Burnette. In his early recording career, Autry covered various genres, including a labor song, "The Death ofMother Jones", in 1931.
Autry also recorded many "hillbilly"-style records in 1930 and 1931 in New York City, which were certainly different in style and content from his later recordings. These were much closer in style to thePrairie Ramblers orDick Justice, and included the "Do Right, Daddy Blues" and "Black Bottom Blues", both similar to "Deep Elem Blues". These lateProhibition-era songs deal withbootlegging,corrupt police, and women whose occupation was certainly vice. These recordings are generally not heard today, but are available on European import labels, such asJSP Records. His first hit was in 1932 with "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine", a duet with fellow railroad man Jimmy Long that Autry and Long co-wrote.
As Autry's movie career flourished, so did his record sales. His unofficial theme song became theRay Whitley composition "Back in the Saddle Again".[14] Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by himself. His records sold more than 100 million copies and he has more than a dozengold and platinum records, including the first record ever certified gold.
Today's listeners associate Gene Autry with Christmas songs, which are played perennially during each holiday season. These include "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", his own composition "Here Comes Santa Claus", "Frosty the Snowman", "Up on the Housetop", and his biggest hit, "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". He wrote "Here Comes Santa Claus" after being the Grand Marshal of the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade (now theHollywood Christmas Parade). He heard all of the spectators watching the parade saying, "Here comes Santa Claus!" virtually handing him the title for his song. He recorded his version of the song in 1947 and it became an instant classic.[citation needed]
In the late 1950s, he began recording other artists, as the original owner ofChallenge Records. The label's biggest hit was "Tequila" byThe Champs in 1958, which started therock and rollinstrumental craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He sold the label soon after, but the maroon (later green) label has the "GA" in a shield above the label name.
Autry and Burnette were discovered by film producerNat Levine in 1934. Together, Autry and Burnette made their film debut forMascot Pictures Corp. inIn Old Santa Fe as part of a singing cowboy quartet; he was then given the starring role by Levine in 1935 in the 12-partserialThe Phantom Empire. Shortly thereafter, Mascot was absorbed by the newly formedRepublic Pictures Corp. and Autry went along to make a further 44 films up to 1940. Most were low-budgetWesterns in which he played under his own name, rode his horseChampion, had Smiley Burnette as his regularsidekick, and had many opportunities to sing in each film. His films were tremendously successful, so much so that almost every other studio tried to compete by showcasing their own singing cowboys. By 1940 Autry was Republic's biggest star, and his films became more costly and more elaborate. They played first-run in large cities, unlike the usual "B" westerns that played in neighborhood theaters.[15]
In theMotion Picture HeraldTop Ten Money-Making Western Stars poll, Autry was listed every year from the first poll in 1936 to 1942 and 1946 to 1954 (he was serving in the AAF 1943–45), holding first place 1937 to 1942, and second place (afterRoy Rogers) 1947 to 1954, when the poll ceased.[16] He appeared in the similarBoxoffice poll from 1936 to 1955, holding first place from 1936 to 1942 and second place (after Rogers) from 1943 to 1952.[17] While these two polls are really an indication only of the popularity of series stars, Autry also appeared in theTop Ten Money Making Stars Poll of all films from 1940 to 1942,[18] HisGene Autry Flying "A" Ranch Rodeo show debuted in 1940.[19]
Autry served in the U. S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Part of his military service included his broadcast of a radio show for one year; it involved music and true stories. Several decades ago on an early afternoon show featuring Republic westerns, one of Gene's sidekicks said that when Gene told Republic Pictures of his intentions to join the military during World War II, Republic threatened to promote Roy Rogers as "King of the Cowboys" in Gene's absence, which it did. Republic reissued old Autry westerns during the war years, to keep his name before the public.
Autry's contract had been suspended for the duration of his military service, and he had tried to have it declared void after his discharge. The courts found in Republic's favor, and Autry returned to Republic after the war. He finished out his contract with four more features, with Autry now publicized as "King of the Singing Cowboys".
In 1947, Autry left Republic forColumbia Pictures, which offered him his own production unit. He chose a new sidekick,Pat Buttram, recently returned from hisWorld War II service. Buttram would co-star with Gene Autry in more than 40 films and in more than 100 episodes ofAutry's television show. In 1951, Autry formed his own company (Flying A Productions) to make westerns under his own control, and Columbia continued to distribute them through 1953.
Autry purchased the 110-acreMonogram Ranch in 1953, inPlacerita Canyon nearNewhall, California, in the northernSan Gabriel Mountains foothills. He renamed it the Melody Ranch after his movieMelody Ranch.[20] Autry then sold 98 acres of the property, most of the original ranch. The Western town,adobes, and ranch cabinsets and open land forlocation shooting were retained as a movie ranch on 12 acres. Numerous "B" Westerns and TV shows were shot there during Autry's ownership, including the initial years ofGunsmoke withJames Arness. A decade after he purchased Melody Ranch, abrushfire swept through in August 1962, destroying most of the original standing sets and dashing Autry's plans to turn it into a museum. However, the devastated landscape did prove useful for productions such asCombat!. A complete adobe ranch survived at the northeast section of the ranch.[21][22]
According to a published story by Autry, the fire caused him to turn his attention toGriffith Park, where he would build his Museum of Western Heritage (now known as theAutry Museum of the American West).
In 1990, after his favorite horse Champion Three, which lived in retirement there, died, Autry put the remaining 12-acre ranch up for sale. It was purchased by theVeluzat family in 1991 and rebuilt. It is now known as the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio and Melody Ranch Studios on 22 acres.[23] The ranch has the Melody Ranch Museum open year-round; and one weekend a year, the entire ranch is open to the public during theCowboy Poetry and Music Festival, another legacy of Autry's multiple talents.[24][25]
From 1940 to 1956, Autry had a huge hit with aweekly show onCBS Radio,Gene Autry's Melody Ranch. His horse, Champion, also had aMutual radio series,The Adventures of Champion and aCBS-TV series ofthe same name. In response to his many young radio listeners aspiring to emulate him, Autry created the Cowboy Code, or Ten Cowboy Commandments. These tenets promoting an ethical, moral, and patriotic lifestyle that appealed to youth organizations such as theBoy Scouts, which developed similar doctrines. The Cowboy Code consisted of rules that were "a natural progression of Gene's philosophies going back to his firstMelody Ranch programs—and early pictures."[26] According to the code:
Beginning in 1950, he produced and starred in his own television show on CBS through his Flying A Productions studio. In the late 1950s, Autry also made several appearances onABC-TV'sJubilee USA.
During World War II, Autry enlisted in theUnited States Army in 1942, and became atech sergeant in the United States Army Air Corps. Holding a privatepilot certificate, he was determined to become a military pilot and earned hisService Pilot rating in June 1944, serving as aC-109 transport pilot with the rank offlight officer. Assigned to a unit of theAir Transport Command, he flew as part of the dangerous airlift operation over theHimalayas between India and China, nicknamedthe Hump.[27][28]
In 1941, at the height of his screen popularity, Autry had a string ofrodeo stock based north ofArdmore, Oklahoma. It was known as the Flying A Ranch and encompassed 1200 acres. It served as headquarters for his traveling rodeo. The nearby town of Berwyn, then honored Autry by naming the town after him. Thirty Five thousand people attended the ceremony on November 16, 1941. A year later, he became a partner in the World Championship Rodeo Company, which furnishedlivestock for many of the country's major rodeos. In 1954, he acquired Montana's topbucking string from the estate of Leo J. Cremer Sr., and put Canadiansaddle bronc riding champion Harry Knight in charge of the operation. A merger with the World Championship Rodeo Company in 1956 made Autry the sole owner. He moved the entire company to a 24,000-acre (97 km2) ranch nearFowler, Colorado, with Knight as the working partner in the operation. For the next 12 years, they provided livestock for most of the major rodeos in Texas, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska. When the company was sold in 1968, both men continued to be active in rodeo. For his work as a livestock contractor, Autry was inducted into theProfessional Rodeo Cowboys Association'sProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979.[30] Autry received several honors for his contributions to rodeo.
Gene Autry was often portrayed in the comics, primarily during the heyday ofWestern-themed comics, the 1940s and 1950s.
TheRegister and Tribune Syndicatecomic stripGene Autry Rides by Till Goodan was the first entry, lasting from 1940 to 1941. From 1941 to 1943, Autry was the subject of acomic book initially published byFawcett Comics and then picked up byDell Comics that ran 12 issues. Dell then published 101 issues ofGene Autry Comics from 1946 to 1955. That title was changed toGene Autry and Champion, and ran an additional 20 issues from 1955 to 1959, making it the longest-running (by number of issues) cowboy actor comic book.
Meanwhile, Autry was the subject of an "Air-Western-Adventure Strip" comic strip syndicated byGeneral Features from 1952 to 1955. The strip was produced in association withWhitman Publishing.[35]
The Mexican publisher Editorial Novaro released 423 issues ofGene Autry comics from 1954 to 1984.
In 1937, Kenton Hardware Company ofKenton, Ohio, began producing Gene Autry cast-ironcap guns as a part of its line of iron toys. The toy was commissioned by Kenton vice-president Willard Bixler, who had conceptualized an iron cap revolver modeled after the pearl-handled gun used by Gene Autry. Selling at 50 cents per gun, the cap pistols were extremely popular and by 1939, two million units of the toy had been sold in theUnited States and abroad. Autry received a portion of all sales revenues.[36][37]
In the 1950s, Autry had been a minority owner of the minor-leagueHollywood Stars. In 1960, whenMajor League Baseball announced plans to add an expansion team in Los Angeles, Autry—who had once declined an opportunity to play in theminor leagues—expressed an interest in acquiring the radio broadcast rights to the team's games. Baseball executives were so impressed by his approach that he was persuaded to become the owner of the franchise rather than simply its broadcast partner. The team, initially called theLos Angeles Angels upon its 1961 debut, moved to suburbanAnaheim in 1966, and was renamed the California Angels, then the Anaheim Angels from 1997 until 2005, when it became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Autry served as vice president of theAmerican League from 1983 until his death. In 1995, he sold a quarter share of the team tothe Walt Disney Company and a controlling interest the following year, with the remaining share to be transferred after his death. Earlier, in 1982, he sold Los Angeles television stationKTLA for $245 million.[38] He also sold several radio stations he owned, includingKSFO in San Francisco,KMPC in Los Angeles,KOGO in San Diego, and other stations in theGolden West radio network.
The number 26 was retired by the Angels in Autry's honor. The chosen number reflected that baseball's rosters (at the time) had 25 men, so Autry's unflagging support for his team made him the "26th man" (see also the12th man, a similar concept in football). When the Angels finally won their first (and to date, only)World Series championship in 2002, star outfielderTim Salmon held Autry's cowboy hat aloft during the on-field celebration, and the public address system played his hit song, "Back in the Saddle Again".
He invested in property, owning by 1964 theMark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco; theHotel Continental in Hollywood; the Sahara Inn, a $12-million motel near Chicago; plus property inPalm Springs.[39]
Autry retired from show business in 1964, having made almost 100 films up to 1955 and over 600 records. He was elected to theCountry Music Hall of Fame in 1969 and to theNashville Songwriters Hall of Fame[8] in 1970. After retiring, he invested widely in real estate, radio, and television. He also invested in ownership of the KOOL-TV CBS-affiliate (nowFox affiliateKSAZ-TV) inPhoenix, Arizona, which created local shows such as the weekly bilingual children's showNiños Contentos.
Republic Pictures, its finances failing, had shut down production in 1957. By the late 1960s Republic was barely operational, managing only its film library. Gene Autry, correctly assessing the company's cash-poor situation, made a cash offer for the rights and negatives to his Republic films. The company accepted Autry's terms, and Autry now controlled the film materials for home-movie reprints and home-video tapes and discs.
Autry died on October 2, 1998, at his home inStudio City, California from lymphoma.[40][41][42][43] He was buried at theForest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. His epitaph read, "America's Favorite Cowboy ... American Hero, Philanthropist, Patriot and Veteran, Movie Star, Singer, Composer, Baseball Fan and Owner, 33rd Degree Mason, Media Entrepreneur, Loving Husband, Gentleman".[44]
In 1932, Autry married Ina Mae Spivey, the niece of Jimmy Long. During this marriage he had a sustained affair withGail Davis, the actress who playedAnnie Oakley in the television series of the same name that Autry produced.[45] After Spivey died in 1980, he marriedJacqueline Ellam, who had been his banker, in 1981.
While Autry was quiet about his political views during his life, his voting records listed him as a registered Republican, and he supported the Civil Rights Movement.[46]
Autry was raised intoFreemasonry in 1927 at Catoosa Lodge No. 185, Catoosa Oklahoma. He later became a 33rd degreeScottish Rite Mason, as recorded on his headstone.[47]
On November 16, 1941, the town of Berwyn, Oklahoma, north ofArdmore, was renamedGene Autry in his honor.[48] Though Autry was born inTioga, Texas, his family moved toOklahoma while he was an infant. He was raised in the southern Oklahoma towns ofAchille andRavia. Autry had also worked as atelegraph operator near Berwyn.[49] In 1939, he bought the 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) Flying A Ranch on the west edge of Berwyn, and the town decided to honor him by changing its name. Approximately 35,000 people attended the ceremonies broadcast live from the site on Autry'sMelody Ranch radio show. Expectations that Autry would make his permanent home on the ranch were heightened when Autry's house in California burned down just 8 days before the name change ceremony, but dashed three weeks later with theattack on Pearl Harbor.[49] Autryjoined the military in 1942 and sold the ranch after the war.[49]
In 1972, he was inducted into theHall of Great Western Performers at theNational Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center inOklahoma City, Oklahoma. Autry was a life member of theBenevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Burbank Lodge No. 1497. His 1976 autobiography, co-written byMickey Herskowitz, was titledBack in the Saddle Again afterhis 1939 hit and signature tune. He is also featured year after year, on radio and "shopping mall music" at the holiday season, by his recording of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". "Rudolph" became the first No. 1 hit of the 1950s.[citation needed] In 2003, he was ranked No. 38 inCMT's list of the40 Greatest Men of Country Music.
In 1977, Autry was awarded the American Patriots Medal byFreedoms Foundation ofValley Forge, Pennsylvania.[50]
Johnny Cash recorded a song in 1978 about Autry called "Who is Gene Autry?" Cash also got Autry to sign his famous blackMartin D-35 guitar, which he plays in the video of "Hurt".[51]
In 1983, Autry received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement.[52]
Autry was inducted into theOklahoma Hall of Fame in 1991.[48]
When theAnaheim Angels won their firstWorld Series in 2002, much of the championship was dedicated to him. The interchange ofInterstate 5 andState Route 134, near theAutry National Center in Los Angeles, is signed as the "Gene Autry Memorial Interchange". There is also a street named after Autry inAnaheim, California, calledGene Autry Way, and there is a street in Palm Springs, California namedGene Autry Trail.
Autry was inducted into theNational Radio Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2004,Starz joined forces with the Autry estate to restore all of his films, which have been shown on Starz'sEncore Westerns channel onpremium television on a regular basis to date since.
In 2007, he became a charter member of theGennett Records Walk of Fame inRichmond, Indiana.[53]
In May 2019,Warner Chappell Music acquired the Gene Autry Music Group, a music publisher comprising four smaller publishers, 1,500 compositions (including "Back in the Saddle Again", "Here Comes Santa Claus", "Just Walkin' in the Rain", and "You Belong To Me"), and several of Autry's master recordings.[54]
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Autry is the only person to have five stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame, in each of five categories defined by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.[55] All of Autry's stars are located alongHollywood Boulevard: Recording at 6384, Radio at 6520,Motion pictures at 6644, Television at 6667, and Live theatre at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard. His first four stars were placed during the initial inductions of 1960 while the final one was placed in 1987, in the additional category named "Live theatre"—later renamed "Live performance"—introduced in 1984.[56][57]
The Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles'Griffith Park was founded in 1988 as the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum featuring much of Autry's personal collection of Western art and memorabilia as well as collections of his friends and other Western film stars. Since 2004, the museum is partnered with theSouthwest Museum of the American Indian and is divided into two locations, eight miles apart from each other.
+ 1,000,000 units sold
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | South of the Border, All American Cowboy | 42 | Republic |
| Cowboy Hall of Fame | 44 |
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Popular | ||
| 1932 | "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine"+(G. Autry and Jimmy Long)[58][59] | — | — |
| 1933 | "The Yellow Rose Of Texas"(G. Autry and Jimmy Long)[58] | — | — |
| "Cowboy's Heaven"[58] | — | — | |
| "The Last Round-Up"[58] | — | — | |
| 1935 | "Tumbling Tumbleweeds"(Gene Autry Trio)[60][59] | — | 7 |
| "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine"+(G. Autry and Jimmy Long)[61][59] | — | 10 | |
| "Ole Faithful"(Gene Autry Trio)[60][59] | — | 10 | |
| 1936 | "Mexicali Rose"[62] | — | — |
| "You're the Only Star in My Blue Heaven"[62] | — | — | |
| 1937 | "The One Rose (That's Left In My Heart)"[63] | — | — |
| "It's Round-Up Time In Reno"[63] | — | — | |
| 1938 | "Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle"[64] | — | — |
| "Dust"[64] | — | — | |
| "There's A Gold Mine in the Sky"[65] | — | — | |
| 1939 | "Paradise in the Moonlight"[66][67] | 1 | — |
| "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)"+[68][69] | 1 | 15 | |
| "Back in the Saddle Again"+[68][69] | 1 | — | |
| "Little Sir Echo"[67] | 1 | — | |
| "A Gold Mine In Your Heart"[68] | 13 | — | |
| "Blue Montana Skies"[67] | 16 | — | |
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Popular | ||||||||
| 1940 | "I'm Beginning To Care"[68][70] | 1 | — | ||||||
| "The Merry-Go-Roundup"[70][68] | 2 | — | |||||||
| "Goodbye Little Darlin' Goodbye"[68][71] | 1 | 20 | |||||||
| "Mary Dear"[72][73] | 4 | — | |||||||
| "Were You Sincere"[74][75] | 1 | — | |||||||
| "Broomstick Buckaroo"[74][76] | 3 | — | |||||||
| "Blueberry Hill"[74] | 6 | — | |||||||
| "When I'm Gone You'll Soon Forget"[68] | 6 | — | |||||||
| "El Rancho Grande"[72] | 11 | — | |||||||
| "Singing Hills"[72] | 11 | — | |||||||
| 1941 | "You Are My Sunshine"+[69][77][78] | 1 | 23 | ||||||
| "Be Honest with Me"[77][74] | 1 | 23 | |||||||
| "You Waited Too Long"[74] | 2 | — | |||||||
| "It Makes No Difference Now"[78] | 6 | — | |||||||
| "Lonely River"[79] | 9 | — | |||||||
| 1942 | "Tweedle-O-Twill"[79] | 1 | — | ||||||
| "Deep in the Heart of Texas"[79] | 1 | — | |||||||
| 1943 | "It Makes No Difference Now"[78] | 3 | — | ||||||
| "I Hang My Head and Cry"[79] | 4 | — | |||||||
| "We've Come A Long Way Together"[79] | 10 | — | |||||||
| 1944 | "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes"[79] | 3 | — | ||||||
| 1945 | "At Mail Call Today"[79] | 1 | — | ||||||
| "I'll Be Back"[79] | 7 | — | |||||||
| "Gonna Build a Big Fence Around Texas"[79] | 2 | — | |||||||
| "Don't Fence Me In"[79] | 4 | — | |||||||
| "Don't Hang Around Me Anymore"[80] | 4 | — | |||||||
| "Don't Live a Lie"[81] | 4 | — | |||||||
| "I Want to Be Sure"[81] | 4 | — | |||||||
| 1946 | "Silver Spurs (On the Golden Stairs)"[81] | 4 | — | ||||||
| "I Wish I Had Never Met Sunshine"[81] | 3 | — | |||||||
| "You Only Want Me When You're Lonely"[81] | 7 | — | |||||||
| "Wave to Me, My Lady"[81] | 4 | — | |||||||
| "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?"[82] | 3 | — | |||||||
| "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)"[82] | 4 | — | |||||||
| 1947 | "Home On The Range"/"Red River Valley"[80] | — | — | ||||||
| "You're Not My Darlin' Anymore"[82] | 3 | — | |||||||
| 1948 | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"+'[83][59] | 5 | 8 | ||||||
| "Buttons and Bows"[83] | 6 | 17 | |||||||
| "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)"[80] | 4 | 8 | |||||||
| 1949 | "Ghost Riders in the Sky"[84] | — | — | ||||||
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"+(w/ The Pinafores)[85][59] | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)"[80] | 8 | 24 | |||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Popular | ||||||||
| 1950 | "Peter Cottontail"+[85][69] | 3 | 5 | ||||||
| "Frosty the Snow Man"+(w/ TheCass County Boys)[85][59] | 4 | 7 | |||||||
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(w/ The Pinafores)[85] | 5 | 3 | |||||||
| 1951 | "Old Soldiers Never Die" | 9 | — | ||||||
| 1952 | "Up on the Housetop" | — | — | ||||||
| 1957 | "Nobody's Darlin' but Mine" | — | — | ||||||
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry)[85] | — | 70 | |||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US AC | ||||||||
| 1998 | "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry) | 55 | — | ||||||
| 1999 | "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry) | 60 | 24 | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US | ||
| 2018 | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"(re-entry) | 28[86] |
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry) | 16[86] | |
| 2019 | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"(re-entry) | 32[87] |
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry) | 22[87] |
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US | ||
| 2020 | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"(re-entry) | 26[88] |
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry) | 16[88] | |
| 2021 | "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry) | 19[89] |
| 2022 | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"(re-entry) | 25[90] |
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry) | 28[90] | |
| 2023 | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"(re-entry) | 21[91] |
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry) | 26[92] | |
| 2024 | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"(re-entry) | 23[93] |
| "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"(re-entry) | 30[93] |
Since many radio stations in the US adopt a format change toChristmas music each December, many holiday hits have an annual spike in popularity during the last few weeks of the year and are retired once the season is over.[94] In December 2011,Billboard began aHoliday Songs chart with 50 positions that monitors the last five weeks of each year to "rank the top holiday hits of all eras using the same methodology as theHot 100, blendingstreaming,airplay, and sales data",[95] and in 2013, the number of positions on the chart was doubled, resulting in theHoliday 100.[96] A few Autry recordings have made appearances on the Holiday 100 and are noted below according to the holiday season in which they charted there.
| Title | Holiday season peak chart positions | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| "Frosty the Snowman" | — | — | — | — | 100[97] | 90[98] | — | — | — | — | — | — | 100[99] | 100[100] | 89[101] |
| "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)" | 45[102] | 34[103] | 43[104] | 48[105] | 27[97] | 37[98] | 18[106] | 10[107] | 12[108] | 12[109] | 25[110] | 19[111] | 17[112] | 20[113] | 19[101] |
| "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | 14[114] | 14[115] | 11[116] | 11[117] | 8[118] | 10[119] | 10[120] | 7[107] | 10[121] | 14[122] | 13[123] | 17[111] | 14[124] | 26[125] | 26[101] |
| "Up on the Housetop (Ho! Ho! Ho!)" | — | — | 80[126] | — | — | 94[98] | 80[127] | 72[128] | 94[108] | 91[109] | 74[110] | 84[129] | 94[124] | 78[125] | 84[101] |
From 1934 to 1953, Autry appeared in 93 films.[130][Note 2] From 1950 to 1955, he also appeared in 91 episodes ofThe Gene Autry Show television series.[131][132] As of 2014[update], a large number of these films and television episodes remain available via the Gene Autry Foundation on the Western Channel (acable television station), the latter having collaborated with the Foundation to restore theRepublic titles, which had been cut to a uniform 54 minutes for television release in the 1950s, to full length and to provide clean negative-based source prints for all the titles in the 1990s.
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