He was "The King of the Cowboys." Born Leonard Slye, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Roy Rogers learned to be a cowboy by working on a ranch in New Mexico. His first performing name was "Dick Weston," which he used as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers. He landed a movie role as a singing cowboy in 1938, and went on to star in radio and the movies, and later became the most popular TV cowboy of the 50s.
With second wife Dale Evans, sidekick Pat Brady (with his Jeep named Nellybelle), his great horse Trigger, Dale's horse Buttermilk, and his German Shepard Bullet, Roy fought the bad guys every week in the modern West from his home base on the Double R Bar Ranch. He appeared in over 100 movies. Despite his public fame and great success in several business enterprises, Roy's private life was filled with tragedy, including the deaths of his first wife and three of his children.
Roy was the same age as Maureen O'Sullivan when he died in 1998, for those who keep track of such things. They were both known primarily for work that appealed to kids. Tarzan and Roy were two of my childhood favorites, anyway. Here are some Web sites that will help you learn more about Roy and his legacy as an entertainer and a humanitarian.
Sometimes you dream,
Sometimes it seems
There's nothing there at all.
You just seem older than yesterday,
And you're waiting for tomorrow to call.
You draw to the curtains,
And one thing's for certain
You're cozy in your little room.
The carpet's all paid for,
God bless the T.V.
Let's go shoot a hole in the moon.
And Roy Rogers is riding tonight,
Returning to our silver screens.
Comic book characters never grow old,
Evergreen heroes whose stories were told,
The great sequin cowboy
Who sings of the plains,
Of roundups and rustlers,
And home on the range.
Turn on the T.V.
Shut out the lights -
Roy Rogers is riding tonight.
Nine o'clock mornings
Five o'clock evenings
I'd liven the pace if I could.
I'd rather have ham in my sandwich than cheese
But complaining wouldn't do any good.
Lay back in my armchair
Close eyes and think clear
I can hear hoofbeats ahead.
Roy and Trigger have just hit the hilltop
While the wife and the kids are in bed.
Oh, and Roy Rogers is riding tonight,
Returning to our silver screens.
Comic book characters never grow old,
Evergreen heroes whose stories were told,
The great sequin cowboy
Who sings of the plains,
Of roundups and rustlers,
And home on the range.
Turn on the T.V.
Shut out the lights -
Roy Rogers is riding tonight.
Do you know of any other Roy Rogers pages? If so, please email me and I'll add them.
