Gene Autry

Born in Tioga, Texas on September 29, 1907, Gene Autry was raised in Texas and Oklahoma. Autry first appeared on screen in 1934 and up to 1953 popularized the musical Western and starred in 93 feature films. Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by him. From 1940 to 1956 the public listened to him on Gene Autry's Melody Ranch radio show that was heard weekly over the CBS Radio Network. Autry joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 and toured with a USO troupe in the South Pacific before resuming his movie career in 1946. Autry's great love for baseball prompted him to acquire the American League California Angels in 1961. Active in Major League Baseball, Autry held the title of Vice President of the American League until his death. Autry's long-cherished dream came true with the opening in November 1988 of the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum. In January 2004 the museum merged with the Southwest Museum. As part of this affiliation, an umbrella company was created. The new Autry National Center consisted of three entities: the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of the American West, and the Institute for the Study of the American West. In 2015 the museum became one entity, the Autry Museum of the American West. Gene Autry died at his home in Studio City, California on October 2, 1998. He was 91 years old.