Tex Ritter
Encyclopedia
Woodward Maurice Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974), 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 (son John
and grandson Jason
). He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
, Texas
, the son of James Everett Ritter and Martha Elizabeth Matthews. He grew up on his family's farm in Panola County
and attended grade school in Carthage
. He attended South Park High School in Beaumont
. After graduating with honors, he entered the University of Texas at Austin
; he studied pre-law, majoring in government, political science and economics.
in Houston
, a 30-minute show featuring cowboy songs. That same year, he moved to New York City
and landed a job in the men's chorus of the Broadway
show The New Moon
(1928). He appeared as cowboy Cord Elam in the Broadway production Green Grow the Lilacs
(1930), the basis for the musical Oklahoma!
. He also played the part of Sagebrush Charlie in The Round Up (1932) and Mother Lode
(1934).
In 1932, he starred in New York City's first broadcast Western, The Lone Star Rangers on WOR-AM
, where he sang and told tales of the Old West. Ritter wrote and starred in Cowboy Tom's Roundup on WINS-AM
in 1933, a daily children's cowboy program aired over two other East Coast
stations for three years. He also performed on the radio show WHN
Barndance and sang on NBC Radio
shows; and appeared in several radio dramas including CBS's Bobby Benson's Adventures and on the syndicated
TV show Death Valley Days
.
Ritter began recording for American Record Company (Columbia Records
) in 1933. His first release was "Goodbye Ole Paint". He also recorded "Rye Whiskey" for the label. In 1935, he signed with Decca Records
, where he recorded his first original recordings, "Sam Hall
" and "Get Along Little Dogie". He recorded 29 songs for Decca, the last in 1939 in Los Angeles, California
as part of Tex Ritter and His Texans.
(1936
) for Grand National Pictures. He starred in twelve B-movie
Westerns for Grand National, including Headin' For The Rio Grande (1936
), and Trouble In Texas
(1937
) co-starring Rita Hayworth
(then known as Rita Cansino).
After starring in Utah Trail (1938
), Ritter left financially-troubled Grand National. Between 1938 and 1945, he starred in around forty "singing cowboy
" movies. He made four movies with actress Dorothy Fay
at Monogram Pictures
: Song of the Buckaroo (1938
), Sundown on the Prairie (1939
), Rollin' Westward (1939
) and Rainbow Over the Range (1940
).
Ritter then moved to Universal Pictures
and teamed with Johnny Mack Brown
for films such as The Lone Star Trail (1943), Raiders of San Joaquin (1943), Cheyenne Roundup (1943) and The Old Chisholm Trail
(1942). He was also the star of the film Arizona Trail (1943), Marshal of Gunsmoke (1944) and Oklahoma Raiders (1944).
When Universal developed financial difficulties, Ritter moved to Producers Releasing Corporation
as "Texas Ranger Tex Haines" for eight features between 1944 and 1945. Ritter did not return to acting until 1950, playing mostly supporting roles or himself.
as well as its first Western singer. His first recording session was on June 11, 1942.
In 1944, he scored a hit with "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You
", which hit No. 1 on the country chart and eleven on the pop chart. "There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder
" was a country chart No. 2 and pop chart No. 21. In 1945, he had the No. 1, 2, and 3 songs on Billboard's Most Played Jukebox Folk Records poll, a first in the industry. Between 1945 and 1946, he registered seven consecutive top five hits, including "You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often
" (No. 1) written by Jenny Lou Carson
, which spent eleven weeks on the charts. In 1948, "Rye Whiskey" and his cover of "The Deck of Cards
" both made the top ten and "Pecos Bill" reached No. 15. In 1950, "Daddy's Last Letter (Private First Class John H. McCormick)" also became a hit.
Ritter first toured Europe
in 1952, where his appearances included a starring role in the Texas Western Spectacle at London's Harringay Arena
. That same year
, Ritter recorded the movie title-track song "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin')", which became a hit. He sang "High Noon" at the first televised Academy Awards
ceremony in 1953, which received an Oscar for Best Song that year.
In 1953, he began performing on Town Hall Party
on radio and television in Los Angeles. In 1957 he co-hosted Ranch Party, a syndicated version of the show. He made his national TV debut in 1955 on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
and was one of five rotating hosts for its 1961 NBC-TV spin-off, Five Star Jubilee
.
He formed Vidor Publications, Inc., a music publishing firm, with Johnny Bond
, in 1955. "Remember the Alamo
" was the first song in the catalog. In 1957, he released his first album, Songs From the Western Screen. He was often featured in archival footage on the children's television program, The Gabby Hayes Show
.
In 1961, he also released the hit "I Dreamed Of A Hill-Billy Heaven," released six years earlier by Eddie Dean
.
Even after the peak of his performing career, Ritter was recognized for his contributions to country music and artistic versatility. He became one of the founding members of the Country Music Association
in Nashville, Tennessee
and spearheaded the effort to build the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In 1964, he became the fifth inductee and first singing cowboy to be honored by the Country Music Hall of Fame.
He moved to Nashville in 1965 and began working for WSM
Radio and the Grand Ole Opry
, earning a lifetime membership in the latter. His family remained in California temporarily so that son John could finish high school there. For a time, Dorothy was an official greeter at the Opry. During this period, Ritter co-hosted a late night radio program with country disc jockey
Ralph Emery
. His 1967 single "Just Beyond The Moon" with lyrics by Jeremy Slate
hit No. 3 on the country chart.
for United States Senate
. Despite high name recognition, he lost overwhelmingly to US Rep.
Bill Brock
, who then defeated US Sen. Albert Gore, Sr.
in the general election.
on June 14, 1941, until his death. The couple had two sons, Thomas Ritter and television actor John Ritter
, whose son Jason
was born in 1980. He helped start United Cerebral Palsy
after Thomas was found to have the affliction. Ritter and his sons spent a great deal of time raising money and public awareness to help others with the illness.
Ritter had his last recording session for Capitol Records in 1973. In 1974, he had a heart attack
and died in Nashville, 10 days before his 69th birthday.
His last song, "The Americans
", became a posthumous hit shortly after his death. He is interred at Oak Bluff Memorial Park in Port Neches, Texas
.
at 6631 Hollywood Boulevard; he and John Ritter were the first father-and-son pair to be so honored in different categories. In 1980, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
.
Ritter can be heard as the voice of Big Al, an audio-animatronic bear at the Country Bear Jamboree
attraction in the Magic Kingdom
at the Walt Disney World Resort
. His character sings "Blood On The Saddle" and continues through the finale as the rest of the cast attempts to drown him out.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting (son John
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
and grandson Jason
Jason Ritter
Jason Morgan Ritter is an American actor, son of the late actor John Ritter and actress Nancy Morgan. Ritter is probably best known for his role as Kevin Girardi in the television series Joan of Arcadia and as Sean Walker in the NBC series The Event.-Early life:Ritter was born in Los Angeles,...
). He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Biography
Ritter was born in MurvaulMurvaul, Texas
Murvaul is a rural unincorporated community in south central Panola County, Texas, United States, on Farm Road 10 and Murvaul Creek eight miles south of Carthage....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, the son of James Everett Ritter and Martha Elizabeth Matthews. He grew up on his family's farm in Panola County
Panola County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,756 people, 8,821 households, and 6,395 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 10,524 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
and attended grade school in Carthage
Carthage, Texas
Carthage is a city in Panola County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Panola County, and is situated in East Texas near the Louisiana state line.-Geography:...
. He attended South Park High School in Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
. After graduating with honors, he entered the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
; he studied pre-law, majoring in government, political science and economics.
Radio and Broadway
An early pioneer of country music, Ritter soon became interested in show business. In 1928, he sang on KPRC-AMKPRC (AM)
KPRC is a talk radio station in Houston, Texas, branded as "The 950 - Radio MOJO". Started in 1925, it is the oldest station in the market...
in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, a 30-minute show featuring cowboy songs. That same year, he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and landed a job in the men's chorus of the 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...
show The New Moon
The New Moon
The New Moon is the name of an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, and Laurence Schwab. The show was the third and last in a string of Broadway hits for Romberg written in the style of Viennese operetta...
(1928). He appeared as cowboy Cord Elam in the Broadway production Green Grow the Lilacs
Green Grow the Lilacs (play)
Green Grow the Lilacs is a 1930 play by Lynn Riggs named for the popular folk song of the same name. It was performed 64 times on Broadway, opening on January 26, 1931 and closing March 21, 1931. It also played January 19, 1931 through January 24, 1931 at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. It...
(1930), the basis for the musical Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
. He also played the part of Sagebrush Charlie in The Round Up (1932) and Mother Lode
Mother Lode
Mother lode is a principal vein or zone of veins of gold or silver ore. The term probably came from a literal translation of the Spanish veta madre, a term common in old Mexican mining...
(1934).
In 1932, he starred in New York City's first broadcast Western, The Lone Star Rangers on WOR-AM
WOR
WOR or Wor may refer to:* WOR , a radio station licensed to New York, New York, United States* WRKS, a radio station licensed to New York, New York, United States, which used the call sign WOR-FM from 1948 to October 1972...
, where he sang and told tales of the Old West. Ritter wrote and starred in Cowboy Tom's Roundup on WINS-AM
WINS
WINS may refer to:*WINS , a radio station in New York City*World Institute for Nuclear Security*Windows Internet Name Service*a web server solution stack built from Windows Server, Internet Information Services, .NET, and SQL Server...
in 1933, a daily children's cowboy program aired over two other East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
stations for three years. He also performed on the radio show WHN
WHN
WHN was a radio station in New York City located at 1050 kHz. Its best known format was country music, which the station played from 1972 to 1987...
Barndance and sang on NBC Radio
NBC Red Network
The NBC Red Network was one of the two original radio networks of the National Broadcasting Company. After NBC was required to divest itself of its Blue Network , the Red Network continued as the NBC Radio Network.It, along with the Blue Network, were the first two commercial radio networks in the...
shows; and appeared in several radio dramas including CBS's Bobby Benson's Adventures and on the syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
TV show Death Valley Days
Death Valley Days
Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series...
.
Ritter began recording for American Record Company (Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
) in 1933. His first release was "Goodbye Ole Paint". He also recorded "Rye Whiskey" for the label. In 1935, he signed with Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, where he recorded his first original recordings, "Sam Hall
Sam Hall (song)
“Sam Hall” is an old English folk song about a bitterly unrepentant criminal condemned to death . Prior to the mid 19th century it was called “Jack Hall”, after an infamous English thief, who was hanged in 1707 at Tyburn...
" and "Get Along Little Dogie". He recorded 29 songs for Decca, the last in 1939 in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
as part of Tex Ritter and His Texans.
Movie career
In 1936, Ritter moved to Los Angeles. His motion picture debut was in Song Of The GringoSong of the Gringo
Song of the Gringo is a 1936 American film directed by John P. McCarthy. The film is also known as The Old Corral in the United Kingdom.- Cast :*Tex Ritter as Tex*Joan Woodbury as Lolita Maria Dolores Del Valle*Fuzzy Knight as Slim Zony...
(1936
1936 in film
The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) for Grand National Pictures. He starred in twelve B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
Westerns for Grand National, including Headin' For The Rio Grande (1936
1936 in film
The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
), and Trouble In Texas
Trouble in Texas
- Cast :*Tex Ritter as Tex Masters*White Flash as Tex's horse*Rita Hayworth as Carmen Serano*Yakima Canutt as Henchman Squint Palmer*Charles King as Henchman Pinto*Horace Murphy as Sidekick Lucky*Earl Dwire as Barker*Tex Cooper as Rodeo Announcer...
(1937
1937 in film
The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
) co-starring Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was an American film actress and dancer who attained fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars...
(then known as Rita Cansino).
After starring in Utah Trail (1938
1938 in film
The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
), Ritter left financially-troubled Grand National. Between 1938 and 1945, he starred in around forty "singing cowboy
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...
" movies. He made four movies with actress Dorothy Fay
Dorothy Fay
Dorothy Fay was an American actress.-Early life and career:She was born Dorothy Fay Southworth in Prescott, Arizona, the daughter of Harry T. Southworth and Harriet Fay Fox. Her father was a medical doctor...
at Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
: Song of the Buckaroo (1938
1938 in film
The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
), Sundown on the Prairie (1939
1939 in film
The year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
), Rollin' Westward (1939
1939 in film
The year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
) and Rainbow Over the Range (1940
1940 in film
The year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney classics Pinocchio and Fantasia.-Events:*February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released....
).
Ritter then moved to Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
and teamed with Johnny Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown was an All-American college football player and film actor originally billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career.-Early life:...
for films such as The Lone Star Trail (1943), Raiders of San Joaquin (1943), Cheyenne Roundup (1943) and The Old Chisholm Trail
The Old Chisholm Trail
"The Old Chisholm Trail" is a cowboy song that dates back to the 1870s, when it was among the most popular songs sung by cowboys during that era. Based on an English lyrical song that dates back to 1640, "The Old Chisholm Trail" was modified by the cowboy idiom...
(1942). He was also the star of the film Arizona Trail (1943), Marshal of Gunsmoke (1944) and Oklahoma Raiders (1944).
When Universal developed financial difficulties, Ritter moved to Producers Releasing Corporation
Producers Releasing Corporation
Producers Releasing Corporation was one of the more lower-end Hollywood film studios on Poverty Row from the late '30s to the mid-'40s. PRC, as it was commonly known, made low-budget B-movies for the lower-half of a double bill. A few of its films have gained a respectable reputation over the...
as "Texas Ranger Tex Haines" for eight features between 1944 and 1945. Ritter did not return to acting until 1950, playing mostly supporting roles or himself.
Recording career
Ritter's recording career was his most successful period. He was the first artist signed with the newly-formed Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
as well as its first Western singer. His first recording session was on June 11, 1942.
In 1944, he scored a hit with "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You
I'm Wastin' My Tears on You
"I'm Wastin' My Tears on You" is a 1944 song by Tex Ritter. The song would be the first of three number ones on the Juke Box Folk records chart. I"m Wastin' My Tears on You" stayed at number one for six weeks with a total of twenty weeks on the chart. The B-side of the song, entitled, "There's a...
", which hit No. 1 on the country chart and eleven on the pop chart. "There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder
There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder
"There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder" is a 1944 song originally performed by Tex Ritter. The song was the B-side to Tex Ritter's, "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You"...
" was a country chart No. 2 and pop chart No. 21. In 1945, he had the No. 1, 2, and 3 songs on Billboard's Most Played Jukebox Folk Records poll, a first in the industry. Between 1945 and 1946, he registered seven consecutive top five hits, including "You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often
You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often
"You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often" is a 1945 song by Tex Ritter. It was Ritter's second number one on the Juke Box Folk chart, spending eleven weeks at the top and a total of twenty weeks on the chart....
" (No. 1) written by Jenny Lou Carson
Jenny Lou Carson
Jenny Lou Carson, , born Virginia Lucille Overstake, was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first woman to write a No. 1 country music hit...
, which spent eleven weeks on the charts. In 1948, "Rye Whiskey" and his cover of "The Deck of Cards
The Deck of Cards
"The Deck of Cards" is a recitative that was popularized in both the country and popular music fields, first during the late 1940s. This religious, touching tale of a young American soldier arrested and charged with playing cards during a church service first became a hit in the U.S. in 1948 by...
" both made the top ten and "Pecos Bill" reached No. 15. In 1950, "Daddy's Last Letter (Private First Class John H. McCormick)" also became a hit.
Ritter first toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1952, where his appearances included a starring role in the Texas Western Spectacle at London's Harringay Arena
Harringay Arena
Harringay Arena was a sporting and events venue on Green Lanes in Harringay, North London, England. Built in 1936, it lasted as a venue until 1958.-Construction:...
. That same year
1952 in film
The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
, Ritter recorded the movie title-track song "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin')", which became a hit. He sang "High Noon" at the first televised Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
ceremony in 1953, which received an Oscar for Best Song that year.
In 1953, he began performing on Town Hall Party
Town Hall Party
Town Hall Party was an American country music radio and television show broadcast over KXLA-AM, Pasadena, California, KFI-AM, Los Angeles, California, and KTTV-TV. The first radio broadcast was in the autumn of 1951.Promoter William B...
on radio and television in Los Angeles. In 1957 he co-hosted Ranch Party, a syndicated version of the show. He made his national TV debut in 1955 on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
and was one of five rotating hosts for its 1961 NBC-TV spin-off, Five Star Jubilee
Five Star Jubilee
Five Star Jubilee was an American country music variety show carried by NBC-TV from March 17–September 22, 1961. The live program, a spin-off of ABC-TV's Jubilee USA, was the first network color television series to originate outside New York City or Hollywood.From March 17 to May 5, the...
.
He formed Vidor Publications, Inc., a music publishing firm, with Johnny Bond
Johnny Bond
Cyrus Whitfield Bond , known professionally as Johnny Bond, was a popular American country music entertainer of the 1940s through the 1960s.-Biography:...
, in 1955. "Remember the Alamo
Remember the Alamo (song)
"Remember the Alamo" is a song written by Texan folk singer and songwriter Jane Bowers. Bowers details the last days of 180 soldiers at the Alamo and names several famous figures who fought at the Alamo, including Mexican general Santa Anna and Texans: Jim Bowie, William Barrett Travis and Davy...
" was the first song in the catalog. In 1957, he released his first album, Songs From the Western Screen. He was often featured in archival footage on the children's television program, The Gabby Hayes Show
The Gabby Hayes Show
The Gabby Hayes Show is a general purpose western television series in which the film star and Roy Rogers confidant, George "Gabby" Hayes , narrated each episode, showed clips from old westerns, or told tall tales for a primarily children's audience. The first Hayes program ran on NBC at 5:15 p.m...
.
In 1961, he also released the hit "I Dreamed Of A Hill-Billy Heaven," released six years earlier by Eddie Dean
Eddie Dean (singer)
Eddie Dean was an American western singer and actor whom Roy Rogers and Gene Autry termed the best cowboy singer of all time. Dean was best known for "I Dreamed Of A Hill-Billy Heaven" , which became an even greater hit in 1961 for Tex Ritter....
.
Later career
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and spearheaded the effort to build the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In 1964, he became the fifth inductee and first singing cowboy to be honored by the Country Music Hall of Fame.
He moved to Nashville in 1965 and began working for WSM
WSM (AM)
WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night...
Radio and the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
, earning a lifetime membership in the latter. His family remained in California temporarily so that son John could finish high school there. For a time, Dorothy was an official greeter at the Opry. During this period, Ritter co-hosted a late night radio program with country disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Ralph Emery
Ralph Emery
Walter Ralph Emery is a country music disc jockey and television host from Nashville, Tennessee. He gained national fame hosting the syndicated television music series, Pop! Goes the Country, from 1974 to 1980 and the nightly Nashville Network television program, Nashville Now, from 1983 to 1993...
. His 1967 single "Just Beyond The Moon" with lyrics by Jeremy Slate
Jeremy Slate
Jeremy Slate was an American film and television actor.-Early life:He attended a military academy and joined the navy when he was 16. He was barely 18 when his destroyer assisted in the Normandy Invasion on D-Day . After the war he attended St. Lawrence University where he graduated with honors in...
hit No. 3 on the country chart.
Senate campaign
In 1970, Ritter surprised many people by entering Tennessee's Republican primary electionPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Despite high name recognition, he lost overwhelmingly to US Rep.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Bill Brock
Bill Brock
William Emerson "Bill" Brock III is a former Republican United States senator from Tennessee, having served from 1971 to 1977. He is the grandson of William Emerson Brock I, who was a Democratic U.S. senator from Tennessee from 1929 to 1931.-Early life and career:Brock was a native of Chattanooga,...
, who then defeated US Sen. Albert Gore, Sr.
Albert Gore, Sr.
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Sr. was an American politician, serving as a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator for the Democratic Party from Tennessee....
in the general election.
Personal life
Ritter was married to actress Dorothy FayDorothy Fay
Dorothy Fay was an American actress.-Early life and career:She was born Dorothy Fay Southworth in Prescott, Arizona, the daughter of Harry T. Southworth and Harriet Fay Fox. Her father was a medical doctor...
on June 14, 1941, until his death. The couple had two sons, Thomas Ritter and television actor John Ritter
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
, whose son Jason
Jason Ritter
Jason Morgan Ritter is an American actor, son of the late actor John Ritter and actress Nancy Morgan. Ritter is probably best known for his role as Kevin Girardi in the television series Joan of Arcadia and as Sean Walker in the NBC series The Event.-Early life:Ritter was born in Los Angeles,...
was born in 1980. He helped start United Cerebral Palsy
United Cerebral Palsy
United Cerebral Palsy is an international nonprofit charitable organization consisting of a network of affiliates. UCP is a leading service provider and advocate for adults and children with disabilities, including cerebral palsy...
after Thomas was found to have the affliction. Ritter and his sons spent a great deal of time raising money and public awareness to help others with the illness.
Death
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and died in Nashville, 10 days before his 69th birthday.
His last song, "The Americans
The Americans (commentary)
"The Americans" is a famous commentary by Canadian broadcaster Gordon Sinclair. Originally written for a regular broadcast on CFRB radio in Toronto on June 5, 1973, it became a media and public phenomenon, replayed several times a day by some United States radio stations, released as a hit audio...
", became a posthumous hit shortly after his death. He is interred at Oak Bluff Memorial Park in Port Neches, Texas
Port Neches, Texas
Port Neches is a city in Jefferson County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,601 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
.
Legacy
For his contribution to the recording industry, Ritter has a star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6631 Hollywood Boulevard; he and John Ritter were the first father-and-son pair to be so honored in different categories. In 1980, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of American rodeo, photographs, barbed wire, saddlery, and early rodeo trophies...
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
.
Ritter can be heard as the voice of Big Al, an audio-animatronic bear at the Country Bear Jamboree
Country Bear Jamboree
The Country Bear Jamboree is an attraction at the Magic Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort and at Tokyo Disneyland in the Tokyo Disney Resort, as well as a former attraction at Disneyland Park. All versions of the attraction are similar....
attraction in the Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...
at the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
. His character sings "Blood On The Saddle" and continues through the finale as the rest of the cast attempts to drown him out.
Filmography
|
Rollin' Plains - Cast :*Tex Ritter as Tex Lawrence*White Flash as Tex's horse*Horace Murphy as Ananias*"Snub" Pollard as Pee Wee*Harriet Bennet as Ruth Moody*Hobart Bosworth as John "Gospel" Moody*Ed Cassidy as Sheriff Tomlin*Karl Hackett as Dan Barrow... (1938) - Tex Lawrence The Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen - Cast :*Tex Ritter as Tex Martin*White Flash as Tex's horse*Iris Meredith as Nancy Wilson*Horace Murphy as Stubby*Charles King as Blackie Devlin*Earl Dwire as Sheriff Walker*Forrest Taylor as Norton*Joseph W... (1937) - Tex Martin Trouble in Texas - Cast :*Tex Ritter as Tex Masters*White Flash as Tex's horse*Rita Hayworth as Carmen Serano*Yakima Canutt as Henchman Squint Palmer*Charles King as Henchman Pinto*Horace Murphy as Sidekick Lucky*Earl Dwire as Barker*Tex Cooper as Rodeo Announcer... (1937) - Tex Masters |
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Cowboy Favorites | Capitol | |
| 1958 | Songs from the Western Screen | ||
| Psalms | |||
| 1959 | Blood On the Saddle | ||
| 1961 | Lincoln Hymns | ||
| Hillbilly Heaven | |||
| 1962 | With Stan Kenton | ||
| 1963 | Border Affair | ||
| 1965 | Friendly Voice | ||
| 1966 | The Best of Tex Ritter | 38 | |
| 1967 | Sweet Land of Liberty | 43 | |
| Just Beyond the Moon | 18 | ||
| 1968 | Bump Tiddil Dee Bum Bum! | 38 | |
| Wild West | |||
| 1969 | Chuck Wagon Days | ||
| 1970 | Green Green Valley | ||
| 1972 | Super Country Legendary | ||
| 1973 | An American Legend | 7 | |
| 1974 | Fall Away | 44 | |
| 1976 | Comin' After Jinny |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|||
| 1944 | "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You I'm Wastin' My Tears on You "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You" is a 1944 song by Tex Ritter. The song would be the first of three number ones on the Juke Box Folk records chart. I"m Wastin' My Tears on You" stayed at number one for six weeks with a total of twenty weeks on the chart. The B-side of the song, entitled, "There's a... " |
1 | 11 | singles only |
| "There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder "There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder" is a 1944 song originally performed by Tex Ritter. The song was the B-side to Tex Ritter's, "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You"... " |
2 | 21 | ||
| 1945 | "Jealous Heart Jealous Heart "Jealous Heart" is a classic C&W song which has also been recorded by several Pop singers.-Early versions:The first recording of "Jealous Heart" was made in 1944 by its composer Jenny Lou Carson... " |
2 | ||
| "You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often "You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often" is a 1945 song by Tex Ritter. It was Ritter's second number one on the Juke Box Folk chart, spending eleven weeks at the top and a total of twenty weeks on the chart.... " |
1 | |||
| 1946 | "You Will Have To Pay You Will Have to Pay "You Will Have To Pay" is a 1945 song by Tex Ritter. "You Will Have To Pay" would be Tex Ritter's final number one on Juke Box Folk chart, staying at the top for three weeks . The B-side of the song entitled, "Christmas Carols By the Old Corral" would hit number two on the same chart.... " |
1 | ||
| "Christmas Carols by the Old Corral" | 2 | |||
| "Long Time Gone" | 5 | |||
| "When You Leave Don't Slam the Door" | 3 | |||
| "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?" | 3 | |||
| 1948 | "Rye Whiskey" | 9 | ||
| "The Deck of Cards The Deck of Cards "The Deck of Cards" is a recitative that was popularized in both the country and popular music fields, first during the late 1940s. This religious, touching tale of a young American soldier arrested and charged with playing cards during a church service first became a hit in the U.S. in 1948 by... " |
10 | |||
| "Pecos Bill" (w/ Andy Parker & The Plainsmen) | 15 | |||
| "Rock and Rye" | 5 | |||
| 1950 | "Daddy's Last Letter" | 6 | ||
| 1956 | "The Wayward Wind The Wayward Wind "The Wayward Wind" is a country song written by Stanley Lebowsky and Herb Newman.In 1956 versions were recorded by Gogi Grant, Tex Ritter, and Jimmy Young, of which Grant's was the biggest seller in the United States and Ritter's in the United Kingdom... " |
28 | ||
| 1961 | "I Dreamed of a Hill-Billy Heaven" | 5 | 20 | Hillbilly Heaven |
| 1966 | "The Men in My Little Girl's Life" | 50 | Just Beyond the Moon | |
| 1967 | "Just Beyond the Moon" | 13 | ||
| "A Working Man's Prayer" | 59 | single only | ||
| 1968 | "Texas" | 69 | Wild West | |
| 1969 | "A Funny Thing Happened (On the Way to Miami)" | 53 | singles only | |
| "Growin' Up" | 39 | |||
| 1970 | "Green Green Valley" | 57 | Green Green Valley | |
| 1971 | "Fall Away" | 67 | Fall Away | |
| 1972 | "Comin' After Jinny" | 67 | Comin' After Jinny | |
| 1974 | "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion) The Americans (commentary) "The Americans" is a famous commentary by Canadian broadcaster Gordon Sinclair. Originally written for a regular broadcast on CFRB radio in Toronto on June 5, 1973, it became a media and public phenomenon, replayed several times a day by some United States radio stations, released as a hit audio... " |
35 | An American Legend |