Born in Tioga, Texas, Autry was raised in Texas and Oklahoma. Discovered by humorist Will Rogers, in 1929 Autry was billed as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy" at KVOO in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He gained a popular following, a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1929, and soon after, performed on the "National Barn Dance" for radio station WLS in Chicago. Autry first appeared on screen in 1934 and up to 1953 popularized the musical Western and starred in 93 feature films. In 1940 theater exhibitors of America voted Autry the fourth biggest box office attraction, behind Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, and Spencer Tracy.
While best known today as the singer of such holiday fare as Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane), Frosty The Snowman, Peter Cottontail, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the second all-time best selling Christmas single of all time, Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by him. His records are reputed to have sold more than 100 million copies. His recording of That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine is reputed to have sold more than 5 million copies. Autry's other significant recordings include:
* You Are My Sunshine (1931)
* A Face I See at Evening (1931)
* The Last Roundup (1933)
* Cowboy's Heaven (1934)
* South of the Border (1934)
* Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935)
* Mexicali Rose (1935)
* Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle (1935)
* Gold Mine in the Sky (1937)
* Back in the Saddle Again (1939)
* Blueberry Hill (1941)
* Be Honest With Me (1946)
* Ghost Riders in the Sky (1949)
* Nobody's Darlin' but Mine (1957)
From 1940 to 1956 Autry hosted the weekly Melody Ranch radio show over the CBS Radio Network, featuring Autry's trademark theme song Back In The Saddle Again. In addition, Autry's popularity was apparent during his personal appearance tours. Claimed to have been the first performer to sell out Madison Square Garden, his concert and rodeo appearances throughout the United States and Europe served as a model for other performers. Autry often did two shows a day, seven days a week, for 65 to 85 days at a stretch.
In 1950, Autry became one of the first major movie stars to turn to television. For the next five years he produced and starred in 91 half-hour episodes of The Gene Autry Show for CBS Television. This success lead him to produce such popular TV series as Annie Oakley, The Range Rider, Buffalo Bill Jr., The Adventures Of Champion as well as the first 39 episodes of Death Valley Days.
He carried his love for entertaining and sharp business sense into broadcasting, where, under the Golden West Broadcasters banner, he owned a chain of radio and television stations throughout the Western United States, including KMPC and KTLA in Los Angeles and KSFO in San Francisco until the late 1980's. His other business interests included the Gene Autry Hotel in Palm Springs, and several other properties. He ranked for many years on the Forbes magazine list of the 400 richest Americans, before he fell in 1995 to the magazine's "near miss" category with an estimated net worth of $320 million.
Autry's broadcasting interests that led him in 1960 to acquire the then expansion Los Angeles Angels American League baseball franchise (later the California Angels). After his retirement from performing in the mid-1960's, much of Autry's time was spent unsuccessfully attempting to win a World Series' championship for his Angels. When he became the first country musician to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he said that there's "only one day that will be bigger than this one for me, and that's when we win the World Series." Autry was a fixture at Angels' games for the rest of his life.
Autry's long-cherished dream came true with the opening in November 1988 of the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, since acclaimed as one of the finest museums on the history and mythology of the West.
Among the many hundreds of honors and awards Autry has received were induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame; the American Academy of Achievement Award, the Los Angeles Area Governor's Emmy from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; and the Board of Directors Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Achievement in Arts Foundation. Autry was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, The National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and he received The Songwriters Guild Life Achievement Award. He was also honored by his songwriting peers with a lifetime achievement award from ASCAP.
Gene Autry died at his home in Studio City, California on October 2, 1998 at the age of 91.
Blueberry Hill
Gene Autry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On blueberry hill when I found you
The moon stood still on blueberry hill
And lingered until my dreams came true
The wind in the willow played
Sweet melody
But all of those vows we made
Were never to be
For you were my thrill on blueberry hill
The wind in the willow played
Love's sweet melody
But all of those vows we made
Were never to be
Tho' we're apart, you're part of me still
For you were my thrill on blueberry hill
In Gene Autry's song Blueberry Hill, the lyrics speak of nostalgia and fond memories of a love found on Blueberry Hill. The singer of the song is transported back to a moment in time when they found their thrill on Blueberry Hill, the idyllic locale where they met their love. The moon stood still on Blueberry Hill, adding to the romance and magic of the moment, as the two fell in love. The wind in the willow played a sweet melody as they made vows to each other, but, alas, those vows were never to be kept. Despite the fact that they are apart, the love that was found on Blueberry Hill remains a cherished memory and will always be a thrilling part of their life.
The lyrics of Blueberry Hill explore the theme of love, heartbreak, and the passage of time. The song was first recorded in 1940 by Glenn Miller, and since then has been covered countless times by many famous artists, including Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, and Louis Armstrong. The song is considered a classic, and has stood the test of time due to its enduring melody and nostalgia-inducing lyrics. The song's lasting popularity can be attributed to its ability to transport listeners back to a simpler time, where love was pure, and the world around them was full of promise.
Line by Line Meaning
I found my thrill on blueberry hill
The singer found happiness and excitement in a place called Blueberry Hill.
On blueberry hill when I found you
The singer met someone special on Blueberry Hill and fell in love with them.
The moon stood still on blueberry hill
The singer experienced a magical moment on Blueberry Hill where the moon appeared to stop moving and time stood still.
And lingered until my dreams came true
The magical moment continued until the artist's wishes and dreams were fulfilled.
The wind in the willow played sweet melody
The soft sound of the wind blowing through the nearby willow trees created a pleasant, peaceful atmosphere.
But all of those vows we made were never to be
Despite making promises to each other, the singer and their loved one were not able to keep them.
Tho' we're apart, you're part of me still
Even though the singer and their loved one are no longer together, the memories and feelings they shared still hold a significant place in the singer's heart.
For you were my thrill on blueberry hill
The person the artist met on Blueberry Hill brought them immense joy and excitement, making them an unforgettable thrill.
Contributed by Aaliyah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lucas 110
The music was written by Vincent Rose, the lyrics by Larry Stock and Al Lewis. It was recorded six times in 1940. May 31 Sammy Kaye Orchestra, June 3 Gene Krupa's. The other 1940 releases were The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Kay Kyser, Russ Morgan, Gene Autry (also in the 1941 film The Singing Hill), Connee Boswell, and Jimmy Dorsey. Louis Amstrong had a pop hit version (with different lyrics) 9 years later. Fats' Rock n Roll version was an International hit in 1956.
Billy
Gene Autry was a fantastic singer
Aileen
Best version ever. 😊
Jesse James Brown
An American Music Legend! 🤜💥🤛
Aileen
And the same is Billy Murray
Ellen R.
Wow! Amazing version of this song.
Rocking Ronnie Walker
Always good to hear the original. Fats made it his own with a great version, but Scatman Crothers also did a superb version as did The Five Redcaps
Aileen
Fats did a only so noisy version. I’m not able to hearing his version withoutget headache of it.
Tom van der Zijden
This song was recorded six times in 1940, as far as sources know the first release being by the Sammy Kaye Orchestra with vocals by Tommy Ryan (released may 31st 1940). Another version was by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Which ever one was the original or first version we'll probably never know for sure, but it's likely to be either the Sammy Kaye version, or the Gene Krupa version (released June 3rd 1940).
Frank Maher
All the Words are Right!!Thank You Gene..