By Clark                                               H.R. No. 575
         77R10064 MJS-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, On September 29, 2001, the residents of Tioga,
 1-2     Texas, are honoring the memory of one of the state's most
 1-3     distinguished native sons with the first annual celebration of Gene
 1-4     Autry Day; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, Born Orvon Gene Autry on September 29, 1907, in
 1-6     Tioga, where he attended school through high school, he broke into
 1-7     the entertainment industry after being discovered by cowboy
 1-8     humorist Will Rogers, and then landed his first job at a radio
 1-9     station in 1928; Mr. Autry's mother encouraged his musical talents
1-10     from an early age and he purchased his first guitar with money he
1-11     earned by singing and shining shoes in a barber shop; and
1-12           WHEREAS, His storied career spanned more than 60 years and
1-13     encompassed such media as radio, motion pictures, television,
1-14     rodeo, and live theater, and he is the only entertainer to have
1-15     five stars on Hollywood's renowned Walk of Fame; and
1-16           WHEREAS, Throughout the years, Mr. Autry came to personify
1-17     the popular image of the American West and was widely known as
1-18     "America's Favorite Singing Cowboy"; and
1-19           WHEREAS, This esteemed gentleman had more than 600 recorded
1-20     songs, including "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine," "Be Honest
1-21     With Me," "Here Comes Santa Claus," "Back in the Saddle Again," and
1-22     "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," which remains the second-best
1-23     selling Christmas single of all time; moreover, Mr. Autry's radio
1-24     show titled "Melody Ranch" aired on the CBS Radio Network between
 2-1     1940 and 1956; and
 2-2           WHEREAS, Displaying his considerable talents and range as an
 2-3     actor, Mr. Autry appeared in 93 films, and starred in 91 of those
 2-4     features, including South of the Border, Trail to San Antone,
 2-5     Mexicali Rose, Back in the Saddle, Sioux City Sue, and Bells of
 2-6     Capistrano; in addition, in 1950, he was the first major movie star
 2-7     to enter the television medium, starring in "The Gene Autry Show"
 2-8     and producing several other programs that achieved great prominence
 2-9     and popularity, including "Annie Oakley"; and
2-10           WHEREAS, Enlisting in the Army Air Forces as a technical
2-11     sergeant on July 26, 1942, to serve his country during World War
2-12     II, Mr. Autry earned flight officer status and served honorably as
2-13     a member of the Air Transport Command, earning the American
2-14     Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World
2-15     War II Victory Medal; at the conclusion of the war, he was assigned
2-16     to a Special Services unit and toured with a USO troupe in the
2-17     South Pacific; and      
2-18           WHEREAS, A baseball afficionado, he became the owner of the
2-19     California Angels, known as the Los Angeles Angels when he
2-20     purchased the team in 1961; Mr. Autry was an ardent supporter of
2-21     the national pastime and served admirably as the American League's
2-22     vice president; and
2-23           WHEREAS, His immeasurable contributions earned him induction
2-24     into the Country Music Hall of Fame, National Cowboy Hall of Fame,
2-25     Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame, and National Association of
2-26     Broadcasters Hall of Fame, as well as such accolades as the
2-27     American Academy of Achievement Award, Songwriters' Guild Life
 3-1     Achievement Award, Hubert Humphrey Humanitarian of the Year award,
 3-2     and a lifetime achievement award from ASCAP; and
 3-3           WHEREAS, Bringing a dream of his to fruition, Mr. Autry
 3-4     founded the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles,
 3-5     California, in 1988, and today this fully accredited museum's
 3-6     impressive collections of art, artifacts, and archival material
 3-7     document both the historical and mythical legacy of the American
 3-8     West and continue to draw millions of visitors from around the
 3-9     world; and
3-10           WHEREAS, Although Mr. Autry passed away in October 1998, his
3-11     bright spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of all those whose
3-12     lives he touched, and it is most fitting that we pay tribute to
3-13     this legendary Texan at this time; now, therefore, be it
3-14           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
3-15     Legislature hereby commemorate the birthday of Gene Autry and
3-16     extend to the citizenry of Tioga best wishes for a memorable first
3-17     annual observance of Gene Autry Day.