Editing Gene Autry (section)

== Life and career ==
=== Early years ===
Autry was born September 29, 1907, near [[Tioga, Texas|Tioga]] in [[Grayson County, Texas]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gene Autry|url=https://old.texasarchive.org/library/index.php?title=Category:Gene_Autry|access-date=September 17, 2021|website=Texas Archive of the Moving Image}}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> the grandson of a [[Methodism|Methodist]] preacher. His parents, Delbert Autry and Elnora Ozment, moved in the 1920s to [[Ravia, Oklahoma|Ravia]] in [[Johnston County, Oklahoma|Johnston County]] in southern Oklahoma. Gene Autry worked on his father's ranch while growing up and going to school. In 1925, Autry left the family ranch. With only his high school education, Autry became a [[telegrapher]]<ref name=HoF /> for the [[St. Louis–San Francisco Railway]]. His talent at singing and playing guitar led to performing at local dances.

=== Singing career ===
[[File:Vlcsnap-2011-01-24-17h29m05s104.png|thumb|Gene Autry with [[Smiley Burnette]], 1934]]
While working as a [[telegraphist|telegraph operator]] in [[Chelsea, Oklahoma]], Autry would sing and accompany himself on the guitar to pass the lonely hours, especially when he had the midnight shift. This later got him fired. One night, he was encouraged to sing professionally by a customer, humorist [[Will Rogers]], who had heard him singing.<ref name="delong">{{cite book|last=DeLong |first=Thomas A. |title=The Mighty Music Box: The Golden Age of Musical Radio |publisher=Amber Crest Books |location=Los Angeles |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-86533-000-9}}</ref><ref name="smith">{{cite news|last=Smith |first=Ardis |title=Autry, First Cowboy of Land, Makes $300,000 Annually |newspaper=Buffalo New York News |date=November 13, 1940 }}</ref><ref name="encyclopedia-ok">{{cite web |last=Dabney |first=Eric |title=Orvon Gene Autry (1907–1998) |publisher=Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture |url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/A/AU004.html |access-date=May 27, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103055642/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/A/AU004.html |archive-date=November 3, 2012  }}</ref>

As soon as he could save money to travel, he went to New York. In the autumn of 1928, he auditioned for the [[Victor Talking Machine Company]], shortly before purchase by [[David Sarnoff]]'s [[RCA|Radio Corporation of America]] (RCA). According to [[Nathaniel Shilkret]],<ref>Shilkret, Nathaniel, ed. Niel Shell and Barbara Shilkret, ''Nathaniel Shilkret: Sixty Years in the Music Business'', Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, 2005. {{ISBN|0-8108-5128-8}}.</ref> director of Light Music for Victor at the time, Autry asked to speak to Shilkret after finding 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, Oklahoma|Tulsa]] radio station KVOO (now [[KOTV (AM)|KOTV]]) as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy". The Victor archives<ref>Victor Recording Book, p.&nbsp;7247. (This is a page from Victor's daily log of recordings.)</ref> show an October 9, 1929, entry stating that the vocal duet of Jimmie Long and Gene Autry with two [[steel guitar|Hawaiian guitar]]s, directed by L. L. Watson, recorded "My Dreaming of You" (Matrix 56761) and "My Alabama Home" (Matrix 56762).

Autry signed a recording deal with [[Columbia Records]] in 1929. He worked in [[Chicago]] on the [[WLS (AM)|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 [[Mary Harris Jones|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 [[Salty Holmes|Prairie Ramblers]] or [[Dick Justice (singer)|Dick Justice]], and included the "Do Right, Daddy Blues" and "Black Bottom Blues", both similar to "[[Deep Elm Blues|Deep Elem Blues]]". These late [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]]-era songs deal with [[moonshine|bootlegging]], [[Police corruption|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 that Autry and Long co-wrote.

As Autry's movie career flourished, so did his record sales. His unofficial theme song became the [[Raymond Otis Whitley|Ray Whitley]] composition "[[Back in the Saddle Again]]".<ref name=pc9>{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19757/m1/ |title=Show 9 – Tennessee Firebird: American country music before and after Elvis. [Part 1] }}</ref> Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by himself. His records sold more than 100 million copies and he has more than a dozen [[music recording certification|gold and platinum]] records, including the first record ever certified gold.

Today's listeners associate Gene Autry with Christmas songs, which are played perennially during each holiday season. These include "[[Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town]]", his own composition "[[Here Comes Santa Claus]]", "[[Frosty the Snowman]]", "[[Up on the Housetop]]", and his biggest hit, "[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (song)|Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]". He wrote "Here Comes Santa Claus" after being the Grand Marshal of the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade (now the [[Hollywood Christmas Parade]]). He heard all of the spectators watching the parade saying, "Here comes Santa Claus!" virtually handing him the title for his song. He recorded his version of the song in 1947 and it became an instant classic.

In the late 1950s he began recording other artists, as the original owner of [[Challenge Records (1950s)|Challenge Records]]. The label's biggest hit was "[[Tequila (The Champs song)|Tequila]]" by [[The Champs]] in 1958, which started the [[rock and roll]] [[instrumental]] craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He sold the label soon after, but the maroon (later green) label has the "GA" in a shield above the label name.

=== Film career ===
[[File:Gene Autry in Oh, Susanna!.png|right|thumb|Gene Autry in ''[[Oh, Susanna! (1936 film)|Oh, Susanna!]]'', 1936]]
Autry and Burnette were discovered by film producer [[Nat Levine]] in 1934. Together, Autry and Burnette made their film debut for [[Mascot Pictures]] Corp. in ''[[In Old Santa Fe]]'' as part of a singing cowboy quartet; he was then given the starring role by Levine in 1935 in the 12-part [[Serial (film)|serial]] ''[[The Phantom Empire]]''. Shortly thereafter, Mascot was absorbed by the newly formed [[Republic Pictures|Republic Pictures Corp.]] and Autry went along to make a further 44 films up to 1940. Most were low-budget [[western (genre)|Westerns]] in which he played under his own name, rode his horse [[Champion the Wonder Horse|Champion]], had Smiley Burnette as his regular [[sidekick]], and had many opportunities to sing in each film. His films were tremendously successful, so much so that almost every other studio tried to compete by showcasing their own singing cowboys. By 1940 Autry was Republic's biggest star, and his films became more costly and more elaborate. They played first-run in large cities, unlike the usual "B" westerns that played in neighborhood theaters.<ref>Wyatt, Tom and Greenland, David. "B Western Cowboys: Part I", ''[[Classic Images]]''. September 2022</ref>

[[File:GeneAutry.jpg|left|thumb|Gene Autry in ''[[The Gene Autry Show]]'' episode "The Black Rider", 1950]]
In the ''[[Motion Picture Herald]]'' [[Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll#Top Ten Western Stars|Top Ten Money-Making Western Stars]] poll, Autry was listed every year from the first poll in 1936 to 1942 and 1946 to 1954 (he was serving in the AAF 1943–45), holding first place 1937 to 1942, and second place (after [[Roy Rogers]]) 1947 to 1954, when the poll ceased.<ref>Phil Hardy ''The Encyclopedia of Western Movies'', London, Octopus, 1985, {{ISBN|0-8300-0405-X}}</ref> He appeared in the similar ''[[Boxoffice Pro|Boxoffice]]'' poll from 1936 to 1955, holding first place from 1936 to 1942 and second place (after Rogers) from 1943 to 1952.<ref name="bwesterns">{{cite web|title=Quigley Publishing Top Ten MoneyMakers Poll |publisher=B Westerns |url=http://www.b-westerns.com/terms5.htm |access-date=May 27, 2012}}</ref> While these two polls are really an indication only of the popularity of series stars, Autry also appeared in the [[Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll]] of all films from 1940 to 1942,<ref name="quigley">{{cite web|title=Top Ten Money Making Stars |publisher=Quigley Publishing |url=http://www.quigleypublishing.com/MPalmanac/Top10/Top10_lists.html |access-date=May 27, 2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141221063625/http://www.quigleypublishing.com/MPalmanac/Top10/Top10_lists.html |archive-date=December 21, 2014 }}</ref> His ''Gene Autry Flying "A" Ranch Rodeo'' show debuted in 1940.<ref name="imdb">{{cite web|title=Gene Autry |website=Internet Movie Database |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000810/ |access-date=May 27, 2012}}</ref>

Autry served in the U. S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Part of his military service included his broadcast of a radio show for one year; it involved music and true stories. Several decades ago on an early afternoon show featuring Republic westerns, one of Gene's sidekicks said that when Gene told Republic Pictures of his intentions to join the military during World War II, Republic threatened to promote Roy Rogers as "King of the Cowboys" in Gene's absence, which it did. Republic reissued old Autry westerns during the war years, to keep his name before the public.

Autry's contract had been suspended for the duration of his military service, and he had tried to have it declared void after his discharge. The courts found in Republic's favor, and Autry returned to Republic after the war. He finished out his contract with four more features, with Autry now publicized as "King of the Singing Cowboys".

In 1947 Autry left Republic for [[Columbia Pictures]], which offered him his own production unit. He chose a new sidekick, [[Pat Buttram]], recently returned from his [[World War II]] service. Buttram would co-star with Gene Autry in more than 40 films and in more than 100 episodes of [[The Gene Autry Show|Autry's television show]]. In 1951, Autry formed his own company (Flying A Productions) to make westerns under his own control, and Columbia continued to distribute them through 1953.

==== Melody Ranch ====
Autry purchased the 110-acre [[Movie ranch#Monogram Ranch/Melody Ranch|Monogram Ranch]] in 1953, in [[Placerita Canyon State Park|Placerita Canyon]] near [[Newhall, California]], in the northern [[San Gabriel Mountains]] foothills. He renamed it the Melody Ranch after his movie ''[[Melody Ranch]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sg032903.htm|title=Movie Magic in Placerita Canyon|website=Scvhistory.com|access-date=May 15, 2010}}</ref> Autry then sold 98 acres of the property, most of the original ranch. The Western town, [[adobe]]s, and ranch cabin [[Set construction|sets]] and open land for [[location shooting]] were retained as a movie ranch on 12 acres. Numerous "B" Westerns and TV shows were shot there during Autry's ownership, including the initial years of ''[[Gunsmoke]]'' with [[James Arness]]. A decade after he purchased Melody Ranch, a [[wildfire|brushfire]] swept through in August 1962, destroying most of the original standing sets and dashing Autry's plans to turn it into a museum. However, the devastated landscape did prove useful for productions such as ''[[Combat!]]''. A complete adobe ranch survived at the northeast section of the ranch.<ref>{{cite web|title=Placeritos Ranch/Monogram Ranch/Melody Ranch|url=http://www.movielocationsplus.com/MELODY.HTM|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913080512/http://movielocationsplus.com/MELODY.HTM|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 13, 2016|website=Movielocationsplus.com|access-date=December 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/autry.htm|website=Scvhistory.com|title=Memories of the place I called Melody Ranch|first=Gene|last=Autry|access-date=February 2, 2008}}</ref>

According to a published story by Autry, the fire caused him to turn his attention to [[Griffith Park]], where he would build his Museum of Western Heritage (now known as the [[Autry Museum of the American West]]).

In 1990, after his favorite horse Champion Three, which lived in retirement there, died, Autry put the remaining 12-acre ranch up for sale. It was purchased by the [[General Lee (car)#The Veluzat era|Veluzat family]] in 1991 and rebuilt. It is now known as the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio and Melody Ranch Studios on 22 acres.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.melodyranchstudio.com/|website=Melodyranchstudio.com|title=Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio|access-date=May 15, 2010}}</ref> The ranch has the Melody Ranch Museum open year-round; and one weekend a year, the entire ranch is open to the public during the [[Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival|Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival]], another legacy of Autry's multiple talents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.melodyranchstudio.com/museum.html|website=Melodyranchstudio.com|title=Museum|access-date=May 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cowboyfestival.org/ |title=Archived copy |website=www.cowboyfestival.org |access-date=January 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204211240/http://www.cowboyfestival.org/ |archive-date=December 4, 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Radio and television career ===
[[File:Gene Autry Pinafores radio show 1948.JPG|right|thumb|Gene Autry with the Pinafores, who sang on his weekly radio show, 1948]]
From 1940 to 1956, Autry had a huge hit with a [[Gene Autry's Melody Ranch|weekly show]] on [[CBS Radio]], ''[[Gene Autry's Melody Ranch]]''. His horse, Champion, also had a [[Mutual Broadcasting System|Mutual]] radio series, ''[[The Adventures of Champion (radio series)|The Adventures of Champion]]'' and a [[CBS|CBS-TV]] series of [[The Adventures of Champion (TV series)|the same name]]. In response to his many young radio listeners aspiring to emulate him, Autry created the Cowboy Code, or Ten Cowboy Commandments. These tenets promoting an ethical, moral, and patriotic lifestyle that appealed to youth organizations such as the [[Boy Scouts of America|Boy Scouts]], which developed similar doctrines. The Cowboy Code consisted of rules that were "a natural progression of Gene's philosophies going back to his first ''[[Gene Autry's Melody Ranch|Melody Ranch]]'' programs—and early pictures."<ref name="george-256">{{harvnb|George-Warren|2007|p=256}}</ref> According to the code:
# The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
# He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
# He must always tell the truth.
# He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
# He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
# He must help people in distress.
# He must be a good worker.
# He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
# He must respect women, parents, and his nation's laws.
# The Cowboy is a patriot.

Beginning in 1950, he produced and starred in his own television show on [CBS through his Flying A Productions studio. In the late 1950s, Autry also made several appearances on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC-TV]]'s ''[[Ozark Jubilee|Jubilee USA]]''.

=== Military career ===
During World War II, Autry enlisted in the [[United States Army]] in 1942, and became a [[technical sergeant|tech sergeant]] in the United States Army Air Corps. Holding a private [[pilot licensing and certification|pilot certificate]], he was determined to become a military pilot and earned his [[Auxiliary Pilot Badge|Service Pilot]] rating in June 1944, serving as a [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator#C-109 version|C-109]] transport pilot with the rank of [[flight officer]]. Assigned to a unit of the [[Air Transport Command (United States Air Force)|Air Transport Command]], he flew as part of the dangerous airlift operation over the [[Himalayas]] between India and China, nicknamed [[the Hump]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geneautry.com/geneautry/geneautry_flightofficer.html|title=GeneAutry.com: Gene Autry: Flight Officer Gene Autry|website=Geneautry.com|access-date=June 20, 2020|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801001257/https://www.geneautry.com/geneautry/geneautry_flightofficer.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=AOPA Pilot|date=May 2014|page=79|title=A Plane-Crazy America}}</ref>

=== Rodeo ===
[[File:Gene Autry and Gail Davis Toronto.jpg|right|thumb|Gene Autry and [[Gail Davis]] in Toronto, 1956<ref>[http://www.world-theatres.com/CNE.html "Canadian National Exhibition Grandstand Performers 1948-1994"], See the performers for 1956. Retrieved November 25, 2017</ref>]]
In 1941, at the height of his screen popularity, Autry had a string of [[rodeo]] stock based north of [[Ardmore, Oklahoma]]. It was known as the Flying A Ranch and encompassed 1200 acres. It served as headquarters for his traveling rodeo. The nearby town of Berwyn, then honored Autry by naming the town after him. Thirty Five thousand people attended the ceremony on November 16, 1941. A year later, he became a partner in the World Championship Rodeo Company, which furnished [[livestock]] for many of the country's major rodeos. In 1954, he acquired Montana's top [[bucking]] string from the estate of Leo J. Cremer Sr., and put Canadian [[bronc riding|saddle bronc riding]] champion Harry Knight in charge of the operation. A merger with the World Championship Rodeo Company in 1956 made Autry the sole owner. He moved the entire company to a {{convert|24000|acre|km2|adj=on}} ranch near [[Fowler, Colorado]], with Knight as the working partner in the operation. For the next 12 years, they provided livestock for most of the major rodeos in Texas, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska. When the company was sold in 1968, both men continued to be active in rodeo. For his work as a livestock contractor, Autry was inducted into the [[Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association]]'s [[ProRodeo Hall of Fame]] in 1979.<ref name="ProRodeo">{{Cite news|url=https://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/stock-contractors/gene-autry/|title=Gene Autry – Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|work=Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|access-date=April 22, 2017}}</ref> Autry received several honors for his contributions to rodeo.

==== Honors ====
* 1972: [[Hall of Great Western Performers]] of the [[National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/performers/1593/|title=Great Western Performers|work=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum|access-date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>
* 1979: [[ProRodeo Hall of Fame]]<ref name="ProRodeo" />
* 1980: [[Hall of Great Westerners]] of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/great-westerners/gene-autry/|title=Hall of Great Westerners|work=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum|access-date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>
* 1988: [[Texas Trail of Fame]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://texastrailoffame.org/inductees/gene-autry/|title=Gene Autry|date=May 25, 2013|work=Western Heritage from the [[Texas Trail of Fame]]|access-date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>
* 2013: [[Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://texasrodeocowboy.com/inductees/?orderby=title&order=ASC|title=Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame: Past Inductees|website=Texasrodeocowboy.com|access-date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>

=== Gene Autry comics ===
Gene Autry was often portrayed in the comics, primarily during the heyday of [[Western comics|Western-themed comics]], the 1940s and 1950s.

The [[Register and Tribune Syndicate]] [[comic strip]] ''Gene Autry Rides'' by Till Goodan was the first entry, lasting from 1940 to 1941. From 1941 to 1943, Autry was the subject of a [[comic book]] initially published by [[Fawcett Comics]] and then picked up by [[Dell Comics]] that ran 12 issues. Dell then published 101 issues of ''Gene Autry Comics'' from 1946 to 1955. That title was changed to ''Gene Autry and Champion'', and ran an additional 20 issues from 1955 to 1959, making it the longest-running (by number of issues) cowboy actor comic book.

Meanwhile, Autry was the subject of an "Air-Western-Adventure Strip" comic strip syndicated by [[General Features]] from 1952 to 1955. The strip was produced in association with [[Whitman Publishing]].<ref name=Knoll>Knoll, Erwin. "New Autry Strip Has Cowboys, Spies, Space", ''Editor & Publisher'' (July 26, 1952). [http://strippersguide.blogspot.com/2008/04/news-of-yore-autry-enters-comic-strip.html Archived at ''Stripper's Guide''].</ref>

The Mexican publisher Editorial Novaro released 423 issues of ''Gene Autry'' comics from 1954 to 1984.

=== Toys ===
In 1937, Kenton Hardware Company of [[Kenton, Ohio]], began producing Gene Autry cast-iron [[cap gun]]s as a part of its line of iron toys. The toy was commissioned by Kenton vice-president Willard Bixler, who had conceptualized an iron cap revolver modeled after the pearl-handled gun used by Gene Autry. Selling at 50 cents per gun, the cap pistols were extremely popular and by 1939, two million units of the toy had been sold in the [[United States]] and abroad. Autry received a portion of all sales revenues.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GeneAutry.com: Kenton, Ohio|url=https://www.geneautry.com/clubhouse/places/kenton_oh.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|website=Geneautry.com|archive-date=November 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130041529/https://www.geneautry.com/clubhouse/places/kenton_oh.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosen |first1=Steven |title=Autry spurs festival |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/194127023/ |access-date=September 6, 2023 |work=Newspapers.com |publisher=Los Angeles Times |date=June 30, 2009 |page=D3 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Baseball ===
[[File:AngelsRetired26.png|right|thumb|150px|Gene Autry's number 26 was retired by the [[California Angels]] in 1982.]]
In the 1950s, Autry had been a minority owner of the minor-league [[Hollywood Stars]]. In 1960, when [[Major League Baseball]] announced plans to add an expansion team in Los Angeles, Autry—who had once declined an opportunity to play in the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]]—expressed an interest in acquiring the radio broadcast rights to the team's games. Baseball executives were so impressed by his approach that he was persuaded to become the owner of the franchise rather than simply its broadcast partner. The team, initially called the [[Los Angeles Angels]] upon its 1961 debut, moved to suburban [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]] in 1966, and was renamed the California Angels, then the Anaheim Angels from 1997 until 2005, when it became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Autry served as vice president of the [[American League]] from 1983 until his death. In 1995, he sold a quarter share of the team to [[the Walt Disney Company]] and a controlling interest the following year, with the remaining share to be transferred after his death. Earlier, in 1982, he sold Los Angeles television station [[KTLA]] for $245&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosenstiel |first1=Thomas B. |title=Tribune Co. Will Buy KTLA for $510 Million : Price Highest Ever for TV Station; Deal Expected to Force Firm to Sell Daily News in Van Nuys |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-05-17-mn-8823-story.html |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=May 17, 1985 |access-date=April 28, 2022}}</ref> He also sold several radio stations he owned, including [[KZAC|KSFO]] in San Francisco, [[KMPC]] in Los Angeles, [[KOGO (AM)|KOGO]] in San Diego, and other stations in the [[Golden West radio network]].

The number 26 was retired by the Angels in Autry's honor. The chosen number reflected that baseball's rosters (at the time) had 25 men, so Autry's unflagging support for his team made him the "26th man" (see also the ''[[12th man (football)|12th man]]'', a similar concept in football). When the Angels finally won their first (and to date, only) [[2002 World Series|World Series championship in 2002]], star outfielder [[Tim Salmon]] held Autry's cowboy hat aloft during the on-field celebration, and the public address system played his hit song, "[[Back in the Saddle Again]]".

===Hotels===
He invested in property, owning by 1964 the [[Mark Hopkins Hotel]] in San Francisco; the [[Andaz West Hollywood|Hotel Continental]] in Hollywood; the Sahara Inn, a $12-million motel near Chicago; plus property in [[Palm Springs]].<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 8, 1964|last=Green|first=Abel|author-link=Abel Green|title=A Year of Tragedy & Trifles|page=3}}</ref>

=== Retirement ===
Autry retired from show business in 1964, having made almost 100 films up to 1955 and over 600 records. He was elected to the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]] in 1969 and to the [[Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame]]<ref name=HoF>{{cite web|title=Gene Autry|url=http://nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/Site/inductee?entry_id=1157|series=Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame|website=Nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com|access-date=December 24, 2017|language=en}}</ref> in 1970. After retiring, he invested widely in real estate, radio, and television. He also invested in ownership of the KOOL-TV CBS-affiliate (now [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[KSAZ-TV]]) in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], which created local shows such as the weekly bilingual children's show ''Niños Contentos''.

Republic Pictures, its finances failing, had shut down production in 1957. By the late 1960s Republic was barely operational, managing only its film library. Gene Autry, correctly assessing the company's cash-poor situation, made a cash offer for the rights and negatives to his Republic films. The company accepted Autry's terms, and Autry now controlled the film materials for home-movie reprints and home-video tapes and discs.

=== Death ===
[[File:Gene Autry Grave.JPG|thumb|150px|Grave of Gene Autry at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills]]
Autry died of [[lymphoma]] on October 2, 1998, at his home in [[Studio City, Los Angeles|Studio City, California]]. He was buried at the [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery]] in Los Angeles. His epitaph read, "America's Favorite Cowboy ... American Hero, Philanthropist, Patriot and Veteran, Movie Star, Singer, Composer, Baseball Fan and Owner, 33rd Degree Mason, Media Entrepreneur, Loving Husband, Gentleman".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forestlawn.com/2019/10/03/americas-favorite-cowboy/|title=America's Favorite Cowboy|date=October 3, 2019|website=Forestlawn.com|access-date=August 4, 2021}}</ref>