Tex Fletcher
Encyclopedia
Geremino Bisceglia better known as Tex Fletcher, was a singing cowboy
with credits as a recording artist, Broadway
and movie actor, night club performer, and radio and television personality.
, Fletcher was the fifth of eight children born to Italian immigrants Michael (a stonemason) and Josephine Bisceglia. Tex left home in 1924 at age 15, and joined the Sells-Floto Circus which traveled across the US and Canada.
He settled in South Dakota
where he learned to handle horse and cattle while soaking up cowboy lore and campfire songs, in effect becoming a 'real' cowboy. He returned to New York in the early 1930s and took a radio job as a singing cowboy on WFAS
in White Plains, New York
.
Fletcher began his performing career on New Jersey
radio station WOR
, and in 1938 joined the Grand National
movie studio. In 1938, he appeared in his first film, "Down on the Barn," while he was an erstwhile member of famed hillbilly outfit, "Emerson's Mountaineers," and in 1939, Six-Gun Rhythm; however, Grand National went bankrupt upon the movie's release, and it received only limited distribution. Fletcher promoted the film by himself on a self-booked tour on the East coast of the U.S and Canada - the center of his popularity. He drove from town to town with his own 16mm print of "Six Gun Rhythm," custom made Martin D-42 guitar and his cowboy outfits in the back seat. He would perform a few songs, show the picture, sign autographs and then move on to the next town. He was occasionally accompanied by his friend and mentor, Tex Ritter
.
Tex hit the trail running in 1934 as he landed the role of Cowboy Answer Man on WWOR
, New Jersey, at the height of singing cowboy craze, replacing close friend and cowboy star, Tex Ritter
(he remained with WWOR for more than 20 years, going off the air in 1957). After a run on Broadway in the production of Howdy Stranger in 1937, Tex became a member of popular radio hillbilly group, “Tom Emerson’s Mountaineers,” then broadcasting nationwide over WMCA and affiliates with whom he appeared in the Hollywood musical production of “Down on The Barn” in 1938 and toured the country. This initial movie appearance brought the handsome singer to the attention of Hollywood talent scouts looking for a fresh face to star in a new series of sagebrush musicals planned by Acadia Productions to be made by Grand National Pictures, again taking the place of Tex Ritter who had moved on to another studio.
Upon release of the series' first film Six-Gun Rhythm, Grand National went belly-up, leaving the oater in limited distribution and its newest star in the lurch. Tex literally "took the bull by the horns" and set out on a one-man promotional tour for the film of the Northeast US and Canada. Tex personally booked and traveled to each movie house, opening the showing with a couple of songs and then signing autographs for fans after the film was over. This action is what many believe to be the reason the B-Western has enjoyed such a long shelf life and has been held in such high esteem among collectors, as it would have otherwise been virtually unknown.
, reaching the rank of Sergeant. Upon his return, he devoted his efforts to being a full-time musician, working in nightclubs, on WOR radio (coast to coast via the Mutual Network) and television (WABC, WNBC, WWOR). He was featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not as having the ability to recall from memory more than 4,000 songs. He recorded for numerous labels including ARC, Decca, Vocalion, Majestic, Montgomery Ward, Flint, SESAC, Waldorf Music, Grand Award and his own Dakota label.
Afterward, Tex had no desire to return to Hollywood and turned down all subsequent offers to continue the series from other movie production companies, and other offers to return to Hollywood - some of which continued into the 1980s - opting instead to focus on radio and live performances.
Fletcher was a prolific songwriter, having penned the cowboy classics, "The Lord is In The Saddle Tonight," "Tiperary (The Great Outlaw Horse)", "My Harding County Home," the closing theme to CBS television's The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock, and others. His songs were covered by Gene Autry
, Ernest Tubb, Lawrence Welk, bluesman Magic Slim, blues duo Pistol Pete and Ron Hytower, and modern day cowboy/folklorist Glenn Ohrlin.
He died in Newburgh, New York.
Singing cowboy
A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western films, popularized by many of the B-movies of the 1930s and 1940s...
with credits as a recording artist, Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and movie actor, night club performer, and radio and television personality.
Early life
Born in Harrison, New YorkHarrison, New York
Harrison is a village and town in Westchester County, New York, United States, located approximately northeast of Manhattan. The population was 27,472 at the 2010 census.-Establishment:...
, Fletcher was the fifth of eight children born to Italian immigrants Michael (a stonemason) and Josephine Bisceglia. Tex left home in 1924 at age 15, and joined the Sells-Floto Circus which traveled across the US and Canada.
He settled in South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
where he learned to handle horse and cattle while soaking up cowboy lore and campfire songs, in effect becoming a 'real' cowboy. He returned to New York in the early 1930s and took a radio job as a singing cowboy on WFAS
WFAS (AM)
WFAS is an AM radio station in Westchester County, New York and vicinity broadcasting on 1230 kHz. The station has a classic adult contemporary format and is under ownership of Cumulus Media. WFAS is also the home for Iona College Men's Basketball. Gary Stanley and Ed Ingles call all the...
in White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
.
1930s
The 1930s proved a busy and productive time for Fletcher, as he landed on big-time radio, starred on Broadway, starred in two movies, toured the country as a soloist and with a group, played Madison Square Garden, landed a record deal with Decca (that lasted well into the 1950s) and performed for the President of the United States.Fletcher began his performing career on New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
radio station WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
, and in 1938 joined the Grand National
Grand National Films Inc.
Grand National Films, Inc or Grand National Pictures was an American motion picture company in operation from 1936-1939. The company has no relation to the British Grand National Pictures.-History and releases:...
movie studio. In 1938, he appeared in his first film, "Down on the Barn," while he was an erstwhile member of famed hillbilly outfit, "Emerson's Mountaineers," and in 1939, Six-Gun Rhythm; however, Grand National went bankrupt upon the movie's release, and it received only limited distribution. Fletcher promoted the film by himself on a self-booked tour on the East coast of the U.S and Canada - the center of his popularity. He drove from town to town with his own 16mm print of "Six Gun Rhythm," custom made Martin D-42 guitar and his cowboy outfits in the back seat. He would perform a few songs, show the picture, sign autographs and then move on to the next town. He was occasionally accompanied by his friend and mentor, Tex Ritter
Tex Ritter
Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...
.
Tex hit the trail running in 1934 as he landed the role of Cowboy Answer Man on WWOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
, New Jersey, at the height of singing cowboy craze, replacing close friend and cowboy star, Tex Ritter
Tex Ritter
Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...
(he remained with WWOR for more than 20 years, going off the air in 1957). After a run on Broadway in the production of Howdy Stranger in 1937, Tex became a member of popular radio hillbilly group, “Tom Emerson’s Mountaineers,” then broadcasting nationwide over WMCA and affiliates with whom he appeared in the Hollywood musical production of “Down on The Barn” in 1938 and toured the country. This initial movie appearance brought the handsome singer to the attention of Hollywood talent scouts looking for a fresh face to star in a new series of sagebrush musicals planned by Acadia Productions to be made by Grand National Pictures, again taking the place of Tex Ritter who had moved on to another studio.
Upon release of the series' first film Six-Gun Rhythm, Grand National went belly-up, leaving the oater in limited distribution and its newest star in the lurch. Tex literally "took the bull by the horns" and set out on a one-man promotional tour for the film of the Northeast US and Canada. Tex personally booked and traveled to each movie house, opening the showing with a couple of songs and then signing autographs for fans after the film was over. This action is what many believe to be the reason the B-Western has enjoyed such a long shelf life and has been held in such high esteem among collectors, as it would have otherwise been virtually unknown.
Post-war career
After several years of this promotional effort, Fletcher entered the United States Army during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, reaching the rank of Sergeant. Upon his return, he devoted his efforts to being a full-time musician, working in nightclubs, on WOR radio (coast to coast via the Mutual Network) and television (WABC, WNBC, WWOR). He was featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not as having the ability to recall from memory more than 4,000 songs. He recorded for numerous labels including ARC, Decca, Vocalion, Majestic, Montgomery Ward, Flint, SESAC, Waldorf Music, Grand Award and his own Dakota label.
Afterward, Tex had no desire to return to Hollywood and turned down all subsequent offers to continue the series from other movie production companies, and other offers to return to Hollywood - some of which continued into the 1980s - opting instead to focus on radio and live performances.
Fletcher was a prolific songwriter, having penned the cowboy classics, "The Lord is In The Saddle Tonight," "Tiperary (The Great Outlaw Horse)", "My Harding County Home," the closing theme to CBS television's The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock, and others. His songs were covered by Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, Ernest Tubb, Lawrence Welk, bluesman Magic Slim, blues duo Pistol Pete and Ron Hytower, and modern day cowboy/folklorist Glenn Ohrlin.
Personal life
At the end of the war, married Ada Mae Henkel B Sept. 27, 1924 – D September 9, 2003) of Yonkers, NY and started family - 5 children: Robert (1947-1999), Jayne, Kathy, George, and Michael. Returned to radio, nightclubs (prominent MC and entertainer at the Village Barn, Manhattan) and television (ABC, NBC, WOR). Last album, "Holiday Hootenanny" released 1964 on his own Dakota imprint.He died in Newburgh, New York.
External links
- Official website, run by Fletcher's son, George
- Tex Fletcher at Find-A-Grave