Roy Rogers, King of Cowboys

Lord, I reckon I'm not much just by myself,
I fail to do a lot of things I ought to do.
But Lord, when trails are steep and passes high,
Help me ride it straight the whole way through.

And when in the falling dusk I get that final call,
I do not care how many flowers they send,
Above all else, the happiest trail would be
For YOU to say to me, "Let's ride, My Friend"
AMEN - The Roy Rogers Prayer

The "King of Cowboys"

Roy Rogers was born Leonard Slye (he would change his name years later when he began acting) on November 5, 1911. Later the family would move to a farm where Roy worked until his junior year of high school, when he took a job at a shoe factory where his father worked. While living on the farm, Roy learned to yodel with the help of his mother and from listening to his collection of recordings.

After a while the family moved to California in hopes of better jobs and a warmer climate. However, this was during the Great Depression and jobs were scarce everywhere. In the fall of 1931 Roy sang, yodeled, and played the guitar on a local radio station's amateur talent show and as a result of his performance was invited to join The Rocky Mountaineers, a local country band. The band quickly became a trio of singers, but by September 1932 the band dissolved. Roy and another member, Tim Spencer, joined the O-Bar-O band and began a tour of the region. During the otherwise disastrous tour, Roy met Arlene Wilkins, who he married in 1936 after four years of correspondence.

Years later Roy, Tim, and Bob Nolan formed the Pioneer Trio and after gaining popularity on the a local radio show, they eventually gained their own national radio show. In 1934 the station manager formed his own recording studio and signed on the trio (now called The Sons of The Pioneers), and Roy Rogers became a national celebrity.

As a result of their radio stardom, The Sons were able to move to movies, first in a short film, Radio Scout, and then in the feature film The Old Homestead. Following that the Pioneers appeared in numerous other movies, including Gene Autry's blockbuster, The Big Show.

The real breakthrough in Roy Rogers' career came about due to a dispute between Gene Autry and the movie studios, which resulted in Roy Rogers replacing him as the star of the 1938 film, Under Western Stars. It was during the filming of this movie that Roy met the horse Trigger, who would go on to be his co-star in 80 movies and a TV series.

In 1940 Roy Rogers signed Art Rush as his agent, and would continue to work with him until Art's death in 1989. Working with Art was perhaps the best financial decision that Roy made, as Art would secure Roy the rights to his name, voice, and image, meaning Roy would receive royalties for all of the merchandizing that would follow his films and TV show. Roy Rogers merchandise quickly became a must-have for children and the Roy Rogers name was second only to Disney in terms of product licensing. This came about as a result of Roy's runaway success in the movie industry and in 1941 he was billed as the "King of the Cowboys" for his 1943 film where he played himself.

When staring in the film The Cowboy & The Senorita, Roy met Dale Evans, who along with Trigger would co-star with Roy until their retirement. In 1946 Arlene died shortly after giving birth to their third child, and Roy and Dale married in 1947.

Throughout the 1950's the Rogers/Evans family continued to grow as they adopted several children from around the world. Roy and Dale would work together on a television show that spawned a children's club, a classic song, and a mountain of Roy Rogers merchandise. Roy Rogers also opened a chain of restaurants and a museum before his death in 1998.

The biography was written with information from several sources,
including the official Roy Rogers website.

The Roy Rogers Show

After over 80 films Roy Rogers began The Roy Rogers Show, staring himself, Dale Evans, Trigger, their sidekick Pat Brady and dog Bullet. The show ran for six years, from December 1951 to June 1957 and contained over 100 episodes. One of the most notable things to come out of the show (besides the merchandising) was the closing theme song, "Happy Trails," performed by Dale Evans and Roy Rogers.

Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song, and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, 'til we meet again.

In the 50 years since the song was first performed it has been redone by numerous singers and the phrase "happy trails" has become part of American culture.

Roy Rogers Riders Club

The Roy Rogers Show was a huge hit with kids, and to go along with watching the show every week, kids could join the Roy Rogers Riders Club. The ethics of Roy Rogers was passed onto members through the club's simple rules:

1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak & help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and take care of them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.

‹‹ Click play to hear collector Wayne Sells recite the Roy Rogers Riders Club rules.

Roy Rogers Restaurants and Museum

In the 1968, a decade after the TV show ended and Roy Rogers had retired from acting (except for two films in the 1970's), Roy worked with the Marriott Corporation to start a franchise of restaurants, simply called Roy Rogers. Back by the Marriott's capital and bearing the name of one of the world's most famous cowboy, the restaurants became an instant hit.

Another famous endeavor of Roy Rogers is his museum of personal memorabilia, originally in California where the family retired to, and now in Branson, Missouri. For years Roy had been saving his personal belongings, "in case there was every a Roy Rogers museum." The collection includes everything from the toys bearing Roy's name to the car that his family drove from Ohio to California.

More Roy Rogers Web Sites

1. The Official Roy Rogers & Dale Evans website
2. Roy Rogers Filmography
3. Dale Evans Filmography
4. Roy Rogers biography

All images are part of the Musselman Library exhibit and are courtesy of Wayne Sells.