Gene Autry (Blueberry Hill) 1941

The first recorded version ever recorded of this song. Recorded on Columbia Records.
Orvon Eugene Autry (September 29, 1907 -- October 2, 1998), better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s. Autry was also owner of the Los Angeles/California Angels Major League Baseball team from 1961 to 1997, as well as a television station and several radio stations in southern California.
Biography
Autry, the grandson of a Methodist preacher, was born near Tioga, Texas. His parents, Delbert Autry and Elnora Ozment, moved to Ravia, Oklahoma in the 1920s. He worked on his father's ranch while at school. After leaving high school in 1925, Autry worked as a telegrapher for the St. Louis--San Francisco Railway.

His Talent with the guitar and his voice led to performing at local dances.
While working as a telegrapher, Autry would sing and accompany himself on the guitar to pass the lonely hours, especially when he had the midnight shift. One night he got encouragement to sing professionally from a customer, the famous humorist and wit, Will Rogers, who had heard Autry singing.

As soon as he could collect money to travel, he went to New York. He auditioned for Victor Talking Machine, at just about the time (end of 1928) it became RCA Victor. According to Nathaniel Shilkret,[4] Director of Light Music for Victor at the time, Autry asked to speak to Shilkret when Autry found that he had been turned down. Shilkret explained to Autry that he was turned down not because of his voice, but because Victor had just made contracts with two similar singers. Autry left with a letter of introduction from Shilkret and the advice to sing on radio to gain experience and to come back in a year or two. In 1928 Autry was singing on Tulsa's radio station KVOO as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy," and the Victor archives[5] shows an October 9, 1929, entry stating that the vocal duet of Jimmie Long and Gene Autry with two Hawaiian guitars, directed by L. L. Watson, recorded "My Dreaming of You".

Autry signed a recording deal with Columbia Records in 1929. He worked in Chicago, Illinois, on the WLS-AM radio show National Barn Dance for four years, and with his own show, where he met singer-songwriter Smiley Burnette. In his early recording career, Autry covered various genres, including a labor song, "The Death of Mother Jones" in 1931.

Autry also recorded many "hillbilly"-style records in 1930 and 1931 in New York City, which were certainly different in style and content from his later recordings. These were much closer in style to the Prairie Ramblers or Dick Justice, and included the "Do Right Daddy Blues" and "Black Bottom Blues", both similar to "Deep Elem Blues". These late-Prohibition era songs deal with bootlegging, corrupt police, and women whose occupation was certainly vice. These recordings are generally not heard today, but are available on European import labels, such as JSP Records.

His first hit was in 1932 with "That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine", a duet with fellow railroad man, Jimmy Long. Autry also sang the classic Ray Whitley hit "Back In The Saddle Again," as well as many Christmas holiday songs including "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," his own composition "Here Comes Santa Claus", "Frosty the Snowman", and his biggest hit, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

Autry also owned the Challenge Records label. The label's biggest hit was "Tequila" by The Champs in 1958, which started the rock-and-roll instrumental craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by him. His records sold more than 100 million copies and he has more than a dozen gold and platinum records, including the first record ever certified gold

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Music

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• singing
• cowboy
• gene
• autry
• oldies

[Cleftonefan]

Gene was the 6th to record this. Sammy Kaye's version with vocal by Tommy Ryan was first.

[TheAzmountaineer]

Thanks for posting, Gene was a real star. His birth name was actually Orvon Grover Autry. He threw the 'Eugene' in years later, apparently didn't care much for 'Grover'

[cmulwee001]

There's been a lot of debate as to who did it first. Some say Gene Autry, which I believe to be true. But others say the version by Sammy Kaye Orchestra, with vocals by Tommy Ryan was the original. Also it's been believed that Glenn Miller's version with Ray Eberle was the first.

All three are from 1940. But being that Gene first sang it in one of his movies leads me to believe,Treasureson78rpm that you are correct, and that Glenn's and Sammy's followed.

Any remarks?

[tickyreal]

WOW..

[laurentlaurent65]

Thank You Treasureson78RPM !!!!