Take a Look at Roy Rogers Sweet Life
Having starred in more than 100 films, radio shows, and television shows, Roy Rodgers was something of akin a national treasure. This western icon’s name and looks were transferred to toys, books, and even comic books. To Roy Rogers and his wife Dale Evans family was everything. They had nine children, and five out of those nine children were adopted. However, this family’s “Happy trails” did not pass without a hiccup. Not only were there family tragedies, but, even though their family museum had more than 200,000 visits per year, it had to be shut down. If you want to find out why Roy Rogers fame withered, keep reading!
Roy Rogers wasn’t his birth name; rather he was destined to change it.
On November 5, 1911 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Leonard Slye, that will become to be known as Roy Rogers was born. When Roy Rogers was a little boy his father gave him a horse as a gift. This together with the fact that he was raised on a farm near Lucasville, provided him with all the knowledge about horsemanship.
Another thing that came from this farm and that made him into an asset in the field of his future career was the fact that he learned how to dance, sing, and play the mandolin there. This he learned because his family didn’t have a radio. So, the Slye family provided for their own entertainment and even organized square dances.
The Rocky Mountaineers - When Roy Rogers was 19, he and his family moved to California. The then Leonard and his father were truck drivers and fruit pickers. Then, in 1931 Leonard tried out for a Los Angles radio show the Midnight Frolics. Because they found him great he received an offer to join the Rocky Mountaineers – a western group.
Although Roger was timid, he still overcame his shyness and performed in front of other people. The Rocky Mountaineers tour took place in the middle of summer and included countries in the areas from New Mexico and Arizona. What they found the hardest was the lack of food, because they had to live off a really tight budget.
The Sons of Pioneers - During the time that he was on the Rocky Mountaineers, Roy Rogers started working with Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer. Both were former members of the Rocky Mountaineers. Together they formed a group – The Pioneers Trio, in 1933. Within the group, Spencer was the lead singer, Nolan played the bass, and Slye the guitar.
In 1934, they added another member to their trio – Hugh Farr. He played the fiddle. Because they were so young, the announcer on the radio changed the name of the band before their radio performance. The name he gave them was The Sons of the Pioneers. They were popular across the U.S. Some of their most famous songs were "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Cool Water."
The Birth of Roy Rogers - Leonard Slye was given the chance to begin his career in the production of Western films. He first appeared on a film in 1935, in a supporting role. The main role in that film was taken up by Gene Autry. But, when Autry wanted the production to pay him more money, the studio began its search for a new cowboy that could sing.
Out of all the people who auditioned, Slye was the one who was chosen. Republic Pictures studio altered his name into Roy Rogers, and he was ready to assume his first leading role. It was in the film Under Western Stars.
When thinking of Roy Rogers, Dale Evans comes to mind immediately. However, death occurred before those two fell in love.
Meet Trigger - When the studio was prepping Roy Rogers for his first leading role, the gave him the chance to pick out his horse that would be his sidekick. They lined up five rented horses, and Rogers ended up picking a yellow-haired palomino stallion. The horse's name was Golden Cloud. But, because Rogers liked the horse so much, he bought it in 1943.
Rogers thought Golden Cloud didn’t fit the horse’s swiftness on foot and intelligence, so he gave him a new name – Trigger. Prior to his adoption, the horse had a Hollywood career of his own. He starred in The Adventures of Robin Hood. He was the mount of Olivia de Havilland’s character.
Trigger Was A Gifted Horse - Trigger knew how to sit in a chair, use a pencil to sign his name "X," lie down for a nap, and cover himself with a blanket. In addition to this, he learned 150 cues and he could reportedly walk on his hind legs for a stunning 50 feet! All that is what made him one famous horse, and he adored the fame.
No matter the number of tricks he had at his disposal, Trigger couldn’t help but ruin some of them because he bowed each time that he heard applause. If you ask us the most impressive fact is that Trigger was housebroken.
Rogers’ Love Life - Of course, apart from his career, Rogers had a love life. He married his first wife
The two married immediately after the finalization of Rogers’ divorce in 1936. They adopted a daughter, but Wilkins also gave birth to a daughter in 1943. Their names are Cheryl Darlene and Linda Lou. Wilkins also gave birth to a baby boy – Ray Jr (Dusty) – before she died of childbirth complications in 1946.
Then Came Dale Evans - Ray Rogers and Dale Evans met on set in 1944 when they collaborated on a movie together. Few years after the death of his previous wife Wilkins, the two inevitably fell in love. At the time, Evans was preparing for a role of a cowgirl and of a future co-star of Rogers’ at Republic studios.
Before she met Rogers, Evans eloped at the age of 14 and gave birth to a son at the age of 15. After her first marriage fell through, she pursued a radio career and had two more husbands. If her first three marriages didn’t fall through, she wouldn’t have met Rogers.
The couple built a huge family, but as you will see, the tragedy didn’t evade them.
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Married With Children - At a rodeo at the Chicago Stadium, Rogers
proposed to Evans. Soon after in 1947, the two got married. They married at the
same place where they filmed Home in Oklahoma. It wasn’t long before Evans gave
birth to a baby girl, whose name was Robin Elizabeth. Sadly the baby had Down
syndrome and died after mumps complications.
This all happened before her second birthday! In order to show that they didn’t forget her, Evans wrote a book named Angel Unaware. This won’t be the only thing done in honor of their baby girl.
Angel Unaware - Evans’ book Angel Unaware turned out to be very inspirational. Her 1953 display of her daughter’s life prompted discussion amongst Americans and the disabled. People were amazed at the fact how much Rogers and Evans were engaged when taking care of their daughter was in question.
There’s even a training center for children with developmental disabilities that acquired her name – The Dale Rogers Training Center in Oklahoma. As time passed, Evans and Rogers adopted children Mimi, Dodie, Sandy, and Debbie. This showcases how much love the two had within them, and were ready to give.
Additional Tragedies - Robin’s death was not the only tragedy that happened to this famous couple. Their daughter Debbie was born in Korea. She was only 12 when she died. Namely, she was one of eight people who died during a tragic bus accident – the school bus crashed into seven cars on the highway. Sadly, that’s not all.
Their son, John David, better known as Sandy, was only 18 when he died. Sandy signed up for the army and was deployed to Germany. He died in a military hospital in Germany in 1965.
Career Continued To Flourish - While he was building his family and giving its members much-needed love, Rogers still focused on his career. Besides films, he did a lot of public appearances. The money from these appearances, however, ended up in the Republic Pictures’ pockets. It was only in 1940 that Rogers initiated a clause that permitted him the right to use his likeness, his voice, and his name for merchandise.
Evans and Rogers secured everything for their children, but you would never guess what stood between Dusty and Rogers.
The show was hot. It had 100 episodes and was a part of NBC’s program. It ended on June 9, 1957.
Just Work - When his show ended, Rogers still worked in Hollywood. His wife and he tried to make a hit out of another show – The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show. It was a variety comedy program that stood no chance against the then-popular Jackie Gleason Show. So, the show went off the air after only three months.
Be that as it may, Rogers continued with his career and had appearances as a cowboy on Wonder Woman and The Muppet Show.. His last motion picture was Macintosh and T.J., debuted in 1975 and filmed in Texas.
Rogers And Evans As Parents - Usually having famous parents has its upsides, but also its downsides. But, Evans and Rogers actually went that extra mile in order to raise their children away from Hollywood. Dusty, their son said for the People magazine “We always moved away from the encroaching population because Dad liked his privacy.
He wanted his kids raised on a ranch, where they could have horses and pigs and chickens and cows.” Of course, what parents want, and what the kids want re two completely different things. That’s how Dusty turned out to be in two films by the time he was finishing high school. Dusty wanted to be an actor, and Rogers was not too thrilled.
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Dusty And Rogers - Rogers was not in favor of his son being an actor.
“The job lasted for about two weeks. My main task was to test the seams in
napalm bombs. Finally, I quit. That really angered Dad. I got mad and left town
with friends,” said Dusty for the People Magazine. Dusty left his family in
order to set up his career in Ohio, but that’s when he realized just how
important of a figure his father is to the outside world.
Dusty eventually returned to Apple Valley and smoothed things out with Rogers by saying “What really worries me, Dad, is I’m afraid you’re gonna die and I won’t have a chance to tell you that I really love you.”
It won’t be long before Dusty would have to be the one making hard decisions.
In The Loving Memory Of Trigger - Trigger led a long and wonderful life. This successful horse even had his career in Hollywood. But, sadly, he de died 1965 in Apple Valley in California at Roy Rogers’ ranch. In order to honor Trigger Rogers preserved him and mounted him by Bischoff’s Taxidermy.
In 1967 in Apple Valley, Rogers started the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum. The Trigger was a part of the display so that the fans can mourn his death. But as you will read, some years will pass until the horse is robbed of his permanent home.
An Additional Exhibit - The Trigger was not the only pet of the family who earned his place at the museum. Having passed away in 1957, Bullet the Wonder Dog was also preserved and added to the display. Another animal that was out on display at the museum was Evans’ buckskin Quarter Horse named Buttermilk that died in 1972.
If you thought that it was complicated taking care of these animals when they were alive it was just as complicated when they were preserved. They needed to be constantly brushed and their glass eyes cleaned. But, this all stopped soon after the museum was forced shut.
Relocation - The family museum was moved from Apple Valley to Victorville, California. From 1976 when the museum was moved, it attracted many people who rushed there in order to see something that would remind them of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Westerns they watched on the small screens when they were growing up.
Then, in 2003, the museum was moved to Branson, Missouri. After Rogers and Evans’ death, the IRS levied a high tax on Rogers’ estate. The children could only relocate the museum to another area in the hopes of reaching more tourists that would visit and generate enough profit to keep it working.
The Museum Was Closed - The relocation to Missouri was not something that helped preserve the museum. The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum simply couldn’t keep up with a variety of honky tonks and other tourist attractions in Branson. Because of that, the museum needed to be closed. “This situation is one I have not wanted to happen.
The decision to close the museum has come after two years of steady decline in visitors. We cannot continue to accumulate debt to keep the doors open,” said Dusty in one statement.
Roy Rogers Restaurant - If you didn’t know you could get your fried chicken, burgers, and roast beef sandwiches in a Roy Rogers restaurant. It was opened in 1968. Rogers of course had no connections to the restaurant chain, but he issued a license to his moniker for the franchise.
There is also a drink that has his name, and no it does not have a drop of alcohol in it. It is a non-alcoholic cocktail that has Coca-Cola, grenadine syrup and maraschino cherry.
Rogers Loved Trigger Too Much - Roy Rogers nurtured a deep connection to his palomino horse. When Trigger died
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Rogers said “I just couldn’t think of burying old Trigger. Too many people loved him. We too took Trigger, Dale’s horse Buttermilk, and Trigger Junior and had them beautifully mounted.
The Trigger is up on hind legs and he looks just like he did the day before he died.” Rogers mourned his best friend’s death for a very long time.
Cameo Roles - You can see Roy Rogers in just about any Western film from the 50s, 60s or 70s. But there were some rather amazing cameos that Rogers has, such as the ones in Wonder Woman, The Muppet Show, and The Fall Guy. He also took part in Randy Travis’ video for the song “Heroes and Friends” in 1990.
This made him a modern country music video star. The video displays the best days of Rogers and Evans’ TV days, and in the end, Rogers suddenly appears.
Adoption - It was already mentioned that Roy and Evans had a lot of children. What many people don’t know is that the couple was a huge supporter of adoption. They adopted four children into their family. Because of this, their family had nine children in total.
Evans and Rogers even founded a few children charities. One of the most important charities is the Happy Trails Children’s Foundation which has the aim of combating child abuse, which Evans and Rogers called an epidemic.
Happy Trails Foundation - The Happy Trails Foundation collaborates with the Trinity Youth Services. It has two cottages which house 44 beds. The cottages are supposed to house children between the age of 10 and 16. All of them have either been a victim of abuse or were removed from their families by child protective services.
What the foundation offers them is a one-year treatment and therapy along with outdoor activities and athletics.
Did Evans do as well as Rogers?
After The Treatment At The Happy Trails Foundation they finish this program, children talk to professionals about their progress. Some children go back to their homes, and some go to foster homes or live with their grandparents, aunts, uncles.
What the foundation prides itself on is that the youth that gets out of its program doesn’t come back into the system. And that is precisely what Rogers and Evans had in mind.
Overcoming Shyness - Usually, people who star in movies or are popular are not expected to be very timid. But, this was exactly how Roy Rogers was. When he was still operating under his birth name Leonard Slye he was very shy. He even stopped out of night school because he couldn’t establish a relationship with his classmates.
He missed his first radio performance because he couldn’t speak. But, after a while, he overcame his insecurities and shyness and became a huge star.
No One Can Match His Career - Roy Rogers was a very popular actor. He was one of the most famous stars for as long as five decades. He acted in at least two movies per year. Sometimes that number was as high as eight movies in a year. That was all in the period from 1935-1951.
When he married Evans, he lowered the number of roles he accepted, and he still made appearances on TV all the way through 1984. You will have a hard time trying to find a better-employed actor and an actor with such a filming rate as he had.
Rogers Has His Place In The Country Music Hall Of Fame - Rogers was chosen to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame twice. The first time was in 1980 when he was still a part of the Pioneers and after that as a solo artist. This is very important because people tend to label him as an actor solely.
He is also the first person to be chosen for the Country Music Hall of Fame twice as of July 2013. He got a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars as well!
Up next, take a look at Rogers’ box office rankings
Three Is The Lucky Number - While Rogers is to be remembered for his marriage with Dale Evans he had three marriages in total. His first wife was his admirer Lucile Ascolese and this marriage happened in 1933. The marriage was broken off because the couple disagreed on some basic things.
After that, Rogers married Arline Wilkins with whom he had two children and who died due to childbirth complications in 1946. This all made the way for the third and final marriage to Dale Evans.
Trigger's Career - Trigger career didn’t begin and end with Roy Rogers. It was only after the horse starred in the 1938 Adventures of Robin Hood that this Holden Cloud was even considered to be offered to Roy as his sidekick.
In the movie, he was ridden by Olivia de Havilland, who was in the role of Maid Marian. He starred with Roy in nearly ninety films.
Box Office Rankings - According to box office rankings, in 1942 Roy was the second most popular Western star. The one preceding him was Gene Autry. The year after he climbed up to the first place in the box office ranking. He continued his rise in 1944 and even came to be the 24th most popular star in the U.S.
Two years after he was the 10th most popular star in the U.S. That was his highest ranking. And in 1952 he was the most popular Western star for the 10th consecutive year.
Roy’s Music - Roy Rogers had a good go at the music scene as well. His first hit song was “A Little White Cross on the Hill” and it was number 7 in the U.S. His second hit “My Chickashay Gal” ended up being number four on the U.S. Country charts.
The first song to have success outside the U.S. was “Leavenworth” made in 1971. It was 12th on U.S. charts and 33rd on Canadian charts.
More About Dale Evans - Dale Evans ‘real name was Lucille Wood Smith, but she changes her name after one of her divorces when she wanted to pursue a music career. She married Roy Rogers in 1947 at the Flying L Ranch in Davis, Oklahoma, on New Year’s Eve.
Roy Rogers was her fourth husband, but this was her best marriage. The two were amazing both on TV and in real life.
Robin Elizabeth Was Her Muse - Roy Rogers and Dale Evans had only one biological child. Robin Elizabeth died before her second birthday because of her mumps complications. The child also suffered from Down syndrome. Evans was deeply saddened and inspired by the death of her daughter.
That is why she issued a book called Angel Unaware. She made it her goal to serve as a role model and she wanted to change the public opinion on children with disabilities. This too is the reason why she wrote many religious and inspirational pieces.
Evans’ Career - Besides her time on successful TV series The Roy Rogers Show from 1951-1957, she was a successful movie actress as well. In the Roy Rogers Show she and Roy Rogers were playing the cowboy and cowgirl pair. Off the small screen, she played in around 30 movies and she was featured in over 200 songs.
She wrote the song “Happy Trails,” and she was a true Christian. She never missed out an opportunity to speak religious words. And those were exactly what she would preach when somebody would ask her for advice.
The Beginning Of Her Career - Evans began her career on the radio. At first, she worked there as a secretary, but later she did gigs and screenings for important companies. She became very popular on the radio when she signed a contract with the 20th-century fox studios. Under that contract, she was featured on the Edgar/Charlie McCarthy show.
The studio ran her campaign as an unmarried woman who supported her brother Tommy. That was actually not her brother, but her son Tom Fox Jr. She kept this lie up all until she finalized her divorce and secured her role as a cowgirl with the Republic Studios.
Religious Public Speaker - The most important highlight of Dale Evans’ life was when she was chosen to speak at the Project Prayer. The rally was attended by 2500 people and the venue was the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Project Prayer was hosted by Anthony Eisley.
The whole project was aimed at the introduction of mandatory prayer in schools. Evans even had albums entirely dedicated to religious music. 1980s were the time when Rogers and Evans’ films were played weekly on the then Nashville Network.
Evan’s Awards - What Evans will be remembered for is for what she had done for the radio. This was exactly why she got her Hollywood Walk of fame star. After that she got another star for her contribution to the TV industry. She was inducted in the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma in 1976.
And, in 1995 she was inducted the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas as well.
Two Deaths - Strange as it may be, Dale Evans and Roy Rogers had similar deaths. What set them apart were a few years. Rogers passed away in 1998 due to congestive heart failure. Evans died in 2001 in the same way. Both of them are interred at the Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Apple Valley.
They are said to resemble “Johnny and June” in this sense. Evans is said to have been completely heartbroken and devastated for three years after Rogers died.
Legacy For Sale - Roy Rogers Jr. was forced to auction off the contents of his late father’s museum after it went into liquidation. The New York branch of Christie’s handled the sale in 2010, which included the stuffed remains of Rogers’ beloved horse Trigger, and dog Bullet, in addition to Dale’s embalmed horse Buttermilk.
Some of the other 1,000 plus items that went under the hammer included the Rogers' family dinner table, toy six-shooters, Rogers-themed tin lunch boxes and the Jeep "Nellybelle" from Rogers' TV show. According to Jamie Nudie, the niece of Rogers’ close friend, Rex Allen, Roy Jr.’s siblings weren’t supportive of his decision to sell their father’s belongings. However, Roy Jr. who was in tears as the auction kicked off, insisted that prior to passing away his father had told him, “If the museum starts costing you money, then liquidate everything and move on.”
The auction ended up fetching in excess of $2.9 million.
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