Roy Rogers
| Roy Rogers | |
|---|---|
Rogers in The Carson City Kid, 1940
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| Born |
Leonard Franklin Slye November 5, 1911 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | July 6, 1998 (aged 86) Apple Valley, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Sunset Hills Memorial Park, Apple Valley, California 34°33′25″N 117°08′35″W / 34.5569916°N 117.1429367°W |
| Other names | King of the Cowboys, Len Slye |
| Occupation | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 1932–1991 1935–1984 (acting) |
| Style | Western |
| Spouse(s) |
Lucile Ascolese (m. 1933; div. 1936) Grace Arline Wilkins (m. 1936; her death 1946) Dale Evans (m. 1947; his death 1998) |
| Website | royrogers |
| Musical career | |
| Instruments |
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| Associated acts | Sons of the Pioneers |
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye, November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer and actor who was one of the most popular Western stars of his era. Known as the "King of the Cowboys", he appeared in over 100 films and numerous radio and television episodes of The Roy Rogers Show. In many of his films and television episodes, he appeared with his wife, Dale Evans; his golden palomino, Trigger; and his German shepherd dog, Bullet. His show was broadcast on radio for nine years and then on television from 1951 through 1957. His productions usually featured a sidekick, often Pat Brady, Andy Devine, or George "Gabby" Hayes. In his later years, Rogers lent his name to the franchise chain of Roy Rogers Restaurants.
Rogers was born Leonard Slye, the son of Mattie (née Womack) and Andrew "Andy" Slye in Cincinnati, Ohio. The family lived in a tenement on 2nd Street, where Riverfront Stadium would later be constructed (Rogers would later joke that he was born at second base). Dissatisfied with his job and city life, Andy and his brother Will built a 12-by-50-foot (3.7 m × 15.2 m) houseboat from salvage lumber, and in July 1912 the Slye family traveled up the Ohio River towards Portsmouth, Ohio. Desiring a more stable existence in Portsmouth, they purchased land on which to build a house, but the Great Flood of 1913 allowed them to move the houseboat to their property and continue living in it on dry land.
In 1919 the Slye family purchased a farm in Duck Run, located near Lucasville, Ohio, about 12 miles (19 km) north of Portsmouth, and built a six-room house. Andy Slye soon realized that the farm alone would not provide sufficient income for his family, so he took a job at a Portsmouth shoe factory, living in Portsmouth during the week and returning home on weekends, bearing gifts following paydays. A notable gift was a horse on which young Len Slye learned the basics of horsemanship. Living on the farm with no radio, the family made their own entertainment. On Saturday nights, they often invited neighbors over for square dances, during which Len would sing, play mandolin, and call the square dances. He also learned to yodel during this time, and he and his mother would use different yodels to communicate with each other across distances on the farm.
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