Gene Autry
While other western actors, such as Wayne and Clint Eastwood, only dabbled in singing roles, some actors became known mainly for their parts as singing cowboys. The most famous of them was Gene Autry, and the moniker "the singing cowboy" usually refers to him in particular. When Wayne declined further singing cowboy roles, Republic looked for a replacement. Autry was chosen because he was the one candidate who could both sing and ride a horse. The choice was so successful that, at the time of his death in 1998, Autry was still on the top 10 list of Hollywood western box office moneymakers.
Autry first rose to popularity as a singer, but his acting career started off quickly with the 1935 film serial The Phantom Empire, and he became a prolific star. Autry's early popularity, both for his radio and film performances, quickly paved the way for a multitude of imitators, but most attempts didn't get close to his success.
Autry, and later Roy Rogers, appeared in contemporary western settings rather than the 19th century wild west era. This allowed the stars to appear in modern clothing alongside motorcars, airplanes, and telephones. In The Phantom Empire, Autry spends time singing on the radio at his "Radio Ranch" as well as battling an ancient civilisation with a race of robots who live beneath the earth.
Autry was also the first sound motion picture cowboy star to use his own name as the main character in a film, a practice soon emulated by Rogers.
Read more about this topic: Singing Cowboy