Two Singing Stars from America; Roy Rogers and Gene Autry

When I was a boy the comics of Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger and Gene Autry with his horse Champion did the rounds of our classrooms. They were both stupendous characters and were what we term as ‘Cowboy singing stars’. They played their roles to perfection and both sang some lovely country hits that still do the rounds of bars in the mid west and east in the United States.

Gene Autry Gene Autry married, but he had no children, but he remained faithful till his wife died in 1981. Rogers himself departed in 1998 and is remembered as one of the most versatile stars of the west on Hollywood screen. His more famous Christmas songs are still sung like ‘Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer.’ Gene was a cowboy star and carved a name for himself both on the radio, the TV and films. He for decades was one of the richest stars of Hollywood. For 10 years he starred in TV serials and endeared himself to the public. Roy Rogers

Parallel to Gene Autry was Roy Rogers. He also expired in 1998 and that signaled the end of an age of Hollywood. Roy Rogers with his horse trigger and wife Dale Evans career ran parallel to Gene Autry. He was last seen active in early 1990 Oscar awards function. Both men were inducted into Hollywood’s legendary Singing stars hall of fame. My preference was for Gene Autry who in his films and comics followed a strict code of conduct. He was clear; help children and women and never shoot first at an opponent and never in the back. Last Word

Both Roy Rogers and Gene Autry are part of history and Hollywood is the richer for these stars that lit the screen with action and songs for 5 decades. That’s some achievement!