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  • Somehow missed the Gene Autry Show when young...will have to go back and try to pick it up. A woman who was supposed to be Gene's wife....used to come and play golf at my club, Mission Hills, with Don Knotts. Gene almost always came also. He had recently had a stroke......could walk and talk but with difficulty. At the time, he owned at least half of Palm Springs! I have researched some, but STILL have not found anything mentioning THAT wife OR his stroke. Need to find a resource to back up that part of my book. If anyone has seen anything about a wife or girlfriend, (much younger) around the early '70s....I THINK she was a blond...I would surely appreciate the link. Also, anything that has to do with a stroke..can't find that either. Not unusual. Back then, a lot of those things were kept out of main circulation, and the Internet was not yet even a "light bulb".


    I was always asked to play golf with them, but usually could not get away for the entire 18 holes. Almost ALWAYS though, I would meet them for a few holes on some part of the course.


    Gene used to get a kick out of the fact that my brother and I named our collie after his horse, Champion. He was a very intelligent man and genuinely NICE man........I always wondered if he had an eidetic memory. I also wondered why Don Knotts was his or the woman's, (forgot her name), constant companion. Oh, and Don was not anything LIKE Barney Fife, LOL! But he did not really impress me much in any way.......his humor on the course was also on the sarcastic side. I have heard better things about him, but that was just what I saw.


    So, will look up his show........thanks Keith. KEITH


    Just watched


    Gene Autry Show
    Hot Lead

    Featuring Alan Hale Jr .as Tiny - Sidekick


    Gene Autry Show
    The Lost Chance



    Just watched


    Gene Autry Show
    Hot Lead

    Featuring Alan Hale Jr .as Tiny - Sidekick


    Gene Autry Show
    The Lost Chance

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • Somehow missed the Gene Autry Show when young...will have to go back and try to pick it up. A woman who was supposed to be Gene's wife....used to come and play golf at my club, Mission Hills, with Don Knotts. Gene almost always came also. He had recently had a stroke......could walk and talk but with difficulty. At the time, he owned at least half of Palm Springs! I have researched some, but STILL have not found anything mentioning THAT wife OR his stroke. Need to find a resource to back up that part of my book. If anyone has seen anything about a wife or girlfriend, (much younger) around the early '70s....I THINK she was a blond...I would surely appreciate the link. Also, anything that has to do with a stroke..can't find that either. Not unusual. Back then, a lot of those things were kept out of main circulation, and the Internet was not yet even a "light bulb".


    I was always asked to play golf with them, but usually could not get away for the entire 18 holes. Almost ALWAYS though, I would meet them for a few holes on some part of the course.


    Gene used to get a kick out of the fact that my brother and I named our collie after his horse, Champion. He was a very intelligent man and genuinely NICE man........I always wondered if he had an eidetic memory. I also wondered why Don Knotts was his or the woman's, (forgot her name), constant companion. Oh, and Don was not anything LIKE Barney Fife, LOL! But he did not really impress me much in any way.......his humor on the course was also on the sarcastic side. I have heard better things about him, but that was just what I saw.


    So, will look up his show........thanks Keith. KEITH


    Just watched


    Gene Autry Show
    Hot Lead

    Featuring Alan Hale Jr .as Tiny - Sidekick


    Gene Autry Show
    The Lost Chance



    Just watched


    Gene Autry Show
    Hot Lead

    Featuring Alan Hale Jr .as Tiny - Sidekick


    Gene Autry Show
    The Lost Chance

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • I have no source, but read somewhere Gene was married, but had a long time affair with Gail Davis (star of the Autry produced Annie Oakly TV series in the 50s).

  • I have no source, but read somewhere Gene was married, but had a long time affair with Gail Davis (star of the Autry produced Annie Oakly TV series in the 50s).

  • Thanks Alamo, I will look her up and see if she is the one who came with Gene and Don all the time. After 40 years, believe it or not, I still remember what she looked like. Usually, I don't remember the ladies.


    I have no source, but read somewhere Gene was married, but had a long time affair with Gail Davis (star of the Autry produced Annie Oakly TV series in the 50s).

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • Thanks Alamo, I will look her up and see if she is the one who came with Gene and Don all the time. After 40 years, believe it or not, I still remember what she looked like. Usually, I don't remember the ladies.


    I have no source, but read somewhere Gene was married, but had a long time affair with Gail Davis (star of the Autry produced Annie Oakly TV series in the 50s).

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • I read a biography a couple of years ago. They said that about Gene and Gail in the book. I will try to find it and give the name of the book.

    "A people that values their Privileges above it's Principles. Soon looses both." Dwight Eisenhower

  • I'm positive Autry was married, though I don't know his wifes name. He was owner of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and when he died, she took over as head of the team. I think she was on hand to receive the MLB World Championship trophy when the Angels won the World Series a few years back.

  • Gene was married in 1932 to Ina until 1980 when she died. He then married Jackie in 1981 until he passed. Gene was one of the best cowboy, singing stars.
    He wrote songs, and had big hits with many of them. He never had children of his own. In many way he was a very honorable man. He earned some of his
    money from oil investments and other things like melody ranch that we see in so many B movies and television shows. A very astute business man.
    When they set up the Gene Autry museum he funded it with $100 million dollars. He bought the baseball Angels and they won the world series after he had passed away.
    In his younger years he helped his family a lot. His Dad spent quite a bit of time in jail in those years. He had siblings or cousins live with him until they became adults, after his mother died.
    Some of this is on page one of this thread.
    Gene and Roy Rogers were lifelong friends, when the papers would print things like they were feuding, they would call and talk. Those feuding rumors weren't true. I believe Roy's first movie was in an Autry movie with Gene. Roy was part of the Sons of the Pioneers then.
    That first movie for Roy and the Sons of the Pioneers with Gene was: "The Old Corral"

    "A people that values their Privileges above it's Principles. Soon looses both." Dwight Eisenhower

    Edited 2 times, last by colkid60 ().

  • Well thanks Colkid,


    I knew Gene around the early 70s, and the woman was not Ina. SO...........she must have been a VERY close friend of his for him to call her his wife...........very strange. I will do some more digging on this........might can find a pic of the lady in the Mission Hills albums. Yep, a genius when it came to making money. As I had mentioned he owned about half of Palm Springs and surrounding "oasis'" in the desert. Hmmm.........maybe Ina had a nickname........will look for a picture of her. KEITH


    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • Gene was married in 1932 to Ina until 1980 when she died. He then married Jackie in 1981 until he passed. I believe Roy's first movie was in an Autry movie with Gene. Roy was part of the Sons of the Pioneers then.


    From our opening post

    Quote

    Spouse
    Jackie Autry (19 July 1981 - 2 October 1998) (his death)
    Ina Mae Spivey (1 April 1932 - 20 May 1980) (her death)


    Roy made a few movies before appearing in these two with Gene


    The Old Corral (1936) .... Sheriff Gene Autry...Roy Rogers (uncredited) ...Buck O'Keefe
    The Big Show (1936) .... Gene Autry / Tom Ford...Roy Rogers (uncredited)... Sons of the Pioneers guitar player

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 3 times, last by ethanedwards ().