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 March 4, 2024

Gene Autry YouTube Clip of the Week
Posted March 4, 2024

This Sunday is the 96th anniversary of the Oscar Awards. Did you know that Gene Autry's performance of "Be Honest with Me" from his Republic Pictures film Ridin' on a Rainbow was nominated for a Best Song Oscar in 1941? Gene didn't win, and the Oscar went to "The Last Time I Saw Paris" from the film Lady Be Good. Other notable nominees that year were "Baby Mine" from Dumbo, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" from Buck Privates, and "Chattanaooga Choo Choo" from Sun Valley Serenade. That's an impressive group of nominees!


For more musical numbers from Gene Autry's B Westerns, check out our YouTube playlist here.

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

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.

Gene Autry Social Media
Updated February 20, 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.

Facebook

Follow our Gene Autry Official Facebook Page:
www.facebook.com/GeneAutryOfficial

Instagram

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Shout! TV

Stream Gene Autry's movies and television series on Shout! TV:

Movies:
https://shout-tv.com/film/western

TV Series:
https://shout-tv.com/series/the-gene-autry-show

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 February 21, 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

Gene Autry Social Media

Connect with Gene Autry's Offical Social Media by clicking on the icons below.

 

Licensing Gene Autry
Intellectual Properties

If you would like to license a Gene Autry owned intellectual property from the Estate of Gene Autry, please visit our licensing page here.