The Official Website for Gene Autry
America's Favorite Singing Cowboy
Known as America's Favorite Singing Cowboy, Gene Autry's career spanned some 70 years in the entertainment industry. He became famous in radio, records, film, television, and live tour performances including rodeo. From the late 1920s through the early 1950s, Gene Autry recorded and wrote hundreds of songs; he was the most successful singing cowboy, appearing in 93 movies and starring in 91 episodes of his television series. Gene Autry was ranked among the most celebrated film stars, and for years was considered to be the most popular Western film actor. In his later years, Gene Autry owned television and radio stations on the West Coast and was the original owner of the Angels Major League Baseball team in Anaheim, California.
Gene Autry Activities and Events
Updated May 7, 2024
- Gene Autry Films and Television Episodes Now Streaming On Shout! TV
ReadMore - Autry Museum of the American West
Visit the museum co-founded by Gene Autry at Griffith park in Los Angeles, California. Read More
Thanks to the generous support of The Autry Foundation, Free Hours at the Autry are every Tuesday and Wednesday from 1:00 - 4:00 PM. Registration Required and Limited. - Autry Museum's Online Store – Gene Autry Items
Visit the Autry Museum Store's special Gene Autry section featuring LPs, DVDs, vintage Christmas Cards and more! ReadMore
Gene Autry YouTube Clip of the Week
Posted April 22, 2024
Last week the Library of Congress announced the National Recording Registry Inductees for 2024 and we are thrilled to share that Gene Autry's 1949 Columbia Records release Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer is on this prestigious list! The Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden named the 25 recordings as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation's recorded sound heritage. Gene is in good company with this year's recording selections including Benny Goodman, Patti Page, Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, ABBA and more.
To celebrate this recognition, our Gene Autry YouTube Clip of the Week is Presenting.....Gene Autry "Christmas Songs". Hear Gene in his own words tell how he was inspired to write Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) and how he came to record Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Visit the Official Gene Autry YouTube Channel for more Gene Autry musical clips from his radio, movie, and television career. Be sure to subscribe so you'll receive updates whenever Gene Autry Entertainment uploads new videos! Read More
National Recording Registry Inducts Sounds of ABBA, Blondie, The Cars, The Chicks, Juan Gabriel, Green Day, The Notorious B.I.G. and Lily Tomlin
Posted April 22, 2024
The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, which created the National Recording Preservation Board, whose members are appointed by the Librarian of Congress. The list of 25 recordings selected for 2024 include Gene Autry's record "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Read More Here
For detailed information and history on Gene Autry and "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" visit our special Christmas Cowboy Section here.
Gene Autry Social Media
Updated May 7, 2024
Gene Autry connected with his fans during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s via letters, phone calls, official Fan Club magazines, and of course personal appearances. Today fans can connect with Gene's music, movies, and more via official Social Media outlets like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Folks can also subscribe to streaming services like Spotify for Gene's music and Shout! TV for Gene's films and television series.
For information on how to sign up for and use Gene Autry's official social media and streaming sites. Read more on our website here.
Follow our Gene Autry Official Facebook Page:
www.facebook.com/GeneAutryOfficial
Follow our Gene Autry Official Instagram Profile:
www.instagram.com/geneautryofficial
Shout! TV
Stream Gene Autry's movies and television series on Shout! TV:
Spotify
Follow Gene Autry's Profile on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/artist/5ixB75BQR3ADoWQkcHQJTs
Youtube
Subscribe to the Gene Autry YouTube Channel:
www.youtube.com/user/GeneAutryOfficial
Gene Autry circa 1939
Jackie and Gene Autry Collection at the Autry Museum Store
Updated May 7, 2024
The Autry's homes in Los Angeles and the Desert were decorated with contemporary Western art collected by Jackie and Gene over the years. Several pieces from their collection are now for sale and can be viewed in person at the Autry Museum Store.
Sale of the artwork from the Jackie and Gene Autry Collection will benefit the Autry Museum of the American West.
Read More Here
Afternoon Tea
Pino Daeni
South of Santa Fe
George Hallmark
Daily Bread
Scott Tallman Powers
Several items from Jackie Autry's jewelry collection are for sale in the Jackie and Gene Autry Collection. Each of these pieces meant a great deal to Mrs. Autry and were worn by her on very special occasions such as the Autry Museum Galas and special Western events she attended with Gene.
Read More Here
Concho Belt, Multi-Stone Inlay
Necklace Hishi with Large Turquoise Pendant
Cuff Multi Stone
Holiday Hitmaker Gene Autry's Easter Tunes
Posted March 4, 2024
Everyone knows that Gene Autry is the Christmas Cowboy with his hit songs "Here Comes Santa Claus (right Down Santa Claus Lane)" and "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," but did you know that Gene also sang Easter tunes, too? That's right, he performed "Easter Parade" on his Melody Ranch Radio Show on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1947. While he never recorded this Irving Berlin classic for Columbia Records it was a hit with his radio audience. When Gene renewed his contract with Columbia Records in the Spring of 1950 for an additional five years, his brand-new Easter hit "Peter Cottontail" sold 175,000 copies during its first week of release! The flipside of the record was "The Funny Little Bunny (with the Powder Puff Tail)" with Gene backed by the Cass County Boys and Carl Cotner's Orchestra on both tracks.
The popularity of Gene's record "Peter Cottontail" led to the song's performance on his Melody Ranch radio show and in his cross-country personal appearance tours. Most significantly, Gene sang "Peter Cottontail" in his B Western film The Hills of Utah, released by Columbia Pictures in 1951. That same year, Gene recorded and released another Easter record with the songs "Sonny the Bunny" and "Bunny Round-Up Time." The success of Gene Autry's holiday and children's recordings in the early 1950s led to his final Easter record in1954 with "Easter Mornin'" and "The Horse with the Easter Bonnet."
An interesting connection between Gene's Christmas and Easter records are composers Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins. Gene debuted their songs "Peter Cottontail" and "Frosty the Snowman" in 1950. Both releases became Gold Records for Gene. He recorded one more song by the songwriting duo, but it wasn't a holiday song. In the early 1950s Smokey Bear was hugely popular with his Wildfire Prevention campaign, and songwriters Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins wrote a song about him, adding "the" to the name only to keep the song's rhythm. Gene Autry recorded "Smokey the Bear" in 1952, once again backed by the Cass County Boys and Carl Cotner's Orchestra.
You can check out a selection of Gene Autry's Easter songs performances from his Melody Ranch Radio Show and movie Hills of Utah on our Gene Autry Official YouTube Channel's Easter Songs and Clips Playlist here.
In 2006 Gene Autry Entertainment partnered with Varèse Sarabande Records to release the CD album Gene Autry and Friends: Year-Round Cowboy. This included all six of Gene's Easter songs he recorded for Columbia Records in the early 1950s. The CD has since sold out and is no longer available on audio streaming services. But you might find the CD on resale sights, thrift stores, or garage sales. Read about the album here.
Spotify does have a few of Gene Autry's Columbia Records Easter song recordings.
- Peter Cottontail – The First Easter Record for Children
Recordings by Gene Autry, Rosemary Clooney, and others - Easter Favorites – EP
All recordings by Gene Autry
