Gene Autry (1907-1998), the legendary singing cowboy of the
1930s, '40s, and '50s, won the hearts of Americans with his golden
voice and rugged good looks. He became one of the most popular
actors of his day, playing Everyman western heroes in scores of
films as well as on radio and television shows.
Autry also wrote, or cowrote, over two hundred songs, including
"Back in the Saddle Again," and recorded an impressive string of
holiday classics, including "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Here
Comes Santa Claus," "Frosty the Snowman," and "Here Comes Peter
Cottontail." High among his many awards and honors were induction
into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the National Cowboy Hall of
Fame, five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a town in
Oklahoma that was named after him. In later life, he was as
successful a businessman and producer as he had been a performer
and served as the driving force behind the creation of the Autry
Museum of Western Heritage.