Tex Ritter
This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(January 2020) |
Tex Ritter | |
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Ritter in 1966 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Woodward Maurice Ritter |
Born | Murvaul, Texas,U.S. | January 12, 1905
Died | January 2, 1974 Nashville, Tennessee,U.S. | (aged 68)
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) |
|
Years active | 1928–1973 |
Labels | Columbia,Decca,Capitol |
Spouse(s) |
Woodward Maurice"Tex"Ritter(January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of AmericanCountry music,a popular singer and actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (sonJohn Ritter,grandsonsJason RitterandTyler Ritter,and granddaughter Carly). He is a member of theCountry Music Hall of Fame.
Early life
[edit]Woodward Maurice Ritter was born on January 12, 1905, inMurvaul, Texas,[1]to Martha Elizabeth (néeMatthews) and James Everett Ritter. He grew up on his family's farm inPanola County, Texas,and attended grade school inCarthage, Texas.He attendedSouth Park High SchoolinBeaumont, Texas.After graduating with honors, he entered theUniversity of Texas at Austinin 1922[2]to study pre-law and major in government, political science, and economics. After traveling toChicagowith a musical troupe, he enteredNorthwestern Law School.[1]
Career
[edit]Radio and Broadway
[edit]An early pioneer of country music, Ritter soon became interested in show business. In 1928, he sang onKPRCinHouston, Texas,[3]a 30-minute program of mostly cowboy songs. That same year, he moved toNew York Cityand landed a job in the men's chorus of theBroadwayshowThe New Moon(1928). He appeared as cowboy Cord Elam in the Broadway productionGreen Grow the Lilacs(1931),[2]the basis for the musicalOklahoma!He also played the part of Sagebrush Charlie inThe Round Up(1932)[4]andMother Lode(1934).
In 1932, he starred in New York City's first broadcast Western,The Lone Star RangersonWOR,where he sang and told tales of theOld West.Ritter wrote and starred inCowboy Tom's RounduponWINSin 1933, a daily children's cowboy program aired over two otherEast Coaststations for three years. He also performed on the radio showWHNBarndanceand sang onNBC Radioshows; and appeared in several radio dramas, includingCBS'sBobby Benson's Adventures.[5]
Movies
[edit]In 1936, Ritter moved to Los Angeles. His motion picture debut was inSong of the Gringo(1936) forGrand National Pictures.[2]He went on to appear in 70 movies as an actor, and 76 on movie soundtracks. He attracted special attention in 1952 for his rendition of "The Ballad of High Noon"over the opening credits of the celebrated filmHigh Noon,and later sang it at that year'sAcademy Awards ceremony,where it wonBest Original Song.
![Poster from 1942 film](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/The_Devil%27s_Trail_1942_poster.jpg/200px-The_Devil%27s_Trail_1942_poster.jpg)
Recording
[edit]Ritter's recording career was his most successful period. He was the first artist signed with the newly formedCapitol Recordsin 1942.[1]
In 1944, he scored a hit with "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You",which hit number one on the country chart and number 11 on the pop chart. An article in the trade publicationBillboardnoted 14 years later that with that song, he "reached the style of rhythmic tune that would assure his musical stature".[6]
In 1952 Ritter recorded "The Ballad of High Noon"for the filmHigh Noon.He performed the track at the first televisedAcademy Awardsceremony in 1953, and it received an Oscar forBest Songthat year.[7]
Television
[edit]When television began to compete with movies for American audiences, Ritter began to make appearances on the new medium following 71 straight movie appearances. In 1953, he began performing onTown Hall Partyon radio and television in Los Angeles. In 1957, he co-hostedRanch Party,a syndicated version of the show. He made his national TV debut in 1955 on ABC-TV'sOzark Jubileeand was one of five rotating hosts for its 1961 NBC-TV spin-off,Five Star Jubilee.
Later work
[edit]Ritter became one of the founding members of theCountry Music AssociationinNashville, Tennessee,and spearheaded the effort to build theCountry Music Hall of Fame and Museuminto which he was inducted in 1964.[2]
He moved to Nashville in 1965 and began working for radio stationWSMand theGrand Ole Opry,earning a lifetime membership in the latter in 1970.[2]
Senate campaign
[edit]In 1970, Ritter entered Tennessee's Republican primary election for United States Senate. Despite high name recognition, he lost the nomination to United States RepresentativeBill Brock,who then defeated the incumbent SenatorAlbert Gore, Sr.in the general election.
Personal life
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Tex_Ritter_grave_marker_Port_Neches_Texas.jpg/220px-Tex_Ritter_grave_marker_Port_Neches_Texas.jpg)
Ritter died of a heart attack in Nashville on January 2, 1974, at age 68. He was survived by his wife and two sons. Ritter's son, John, became famous as an actor, playingJack Tripperon the ABC sitcomThree's Company(1977–1984). In 2003, John died, at the age of 54, of anaortic dissection.Because John was initially diagnosed as having a heart attack, and because aortic dissection is known to be hereditary, the family now believes that Tex died of an aortic dissection rather than a heart attack.[8]
Legacy
[edit]For his contribution to the recording industry, Ritter has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fameat 6631Hollywood Boulevard.[9]In 1980, he was inducted into theWestern Performers Hall of Fame[10]at theNational Cowboy & Western Heritage MuseuminOklahoma City,Oklahoma.He was a member of the charter group of inductees into theTexas Country Music Hall of Famein Carthage, in 1998.[11]
In 1986, Ritter was honored posthumously with aGolden Boot Awardfor his work in Western films.[12]
Ritter can still be heard as the voice of Big Al, anaudio-animatronicbear,atDisney theme parkattractionCountry Bear Jamboreeat theMagic KingdomatWalt Disney World,andTokyo DisneylandinUrayasu,Chiba,Japan,and formerly atDisneylandinAnaheim, California.
Selected filmography
[edit]- Song of the Gringo(1936) – Tex
- Headin' for the Rio Grande(1936) – Tex Saunders
- Arizona Days(1937) – Tex Malinson
- Trouble in Texas(1937) – Tex Masters
- Hittin' the Trail(1937) – Tex Randall
- Sing, Cowboy, Sing(1937) – Tex Archer
- Riders of the Rockies(1937) – Tex Rand
- The Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen(1937) – Tex Martin
- Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts(1937) – Tex Collins
- Frontier Town(1938) – Tex Lansing, alias Tex Rawlins
- Rollin' Plains(1938) – Tex Lawrence
- The Utah Trail(1938) – Tex Stewart, posing as the Pecos Kid
- Starlight Over Texas(1938) – Tex Newman
- Where the Buffalo Roam(1938) – Tex Houston
- Song of the Buckaroo(1938) – Texas Dan
- Sundown on the Prairie(1939) – Tex
- Rollin' Westward(1939) – Tex
- Man from Texas(1939) – Tex Allen
- Down the Wyoming Trail(1939) – Tex Yancey
- Riders of the Frontier(1939) – Tex Lowery
- Westbound Stage(1939) – Tex Wallace
- Rhythm of the Rio Grande(1940) – Tex Regan
- Pals of the Silver Sage(1940) – Tex Wright
- The Cowboy from Sundown(1940) – Sheriff Tex Rockett
- The Golden Trail(1940) – Tex Roberts
- Rainbow Over the Range(1940) – Tex Reed
- Roll Wagons Roll(1940) – Tex Masters
- Arizona Frontier(1940) – Tex
- Take Me Back to Oklahoma(1940) – Tex Lawton
- Rolling Home to Texas(1940) – Tex Reed
- Ridin' the Cherokee Trail(1941) – Ranger Lt. Tex Ritter
- The Pioneers(1941) – Tex
- King of Dodge City(1941) – Tex Rawlings
- Roaring Frontiers(1941) – Tex Martin (listed as Tex Rawlings)
- The Lone Star Vigilantes(1942) – Tex Martin
- Bullets for Bandits(1942) – Sheriff Tex Martin
- North of the Rockies(1942) – Tex Martin
- The Devil's Trail(1942) – Marshal Tex Martin
- Prairie Gunsmoke(1942) – Tex Terrell
- Vengeance of the West(1942) – California Ranger Captain Tex Lake
- Deep in the Heart of Texas(1942) – Brent Gordon
- Little Joe, the Wrangler(1942) – Sheriff Bob Brewster
- The Old Chisholm Trail(1942) – Montana Smith
- Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground(1943) – Bob Courtney
- Cheyenne Roundup(1943) – Steve Rawlins
- Raiders of San Joaquin(1943) – Gil Blake
- The Lone Star Trail(1943) – Fargo Steele
- Frontier Badmen(1943) – Jerry Kimball (cattle buyer)
- Arizona Trail(1943) – Johnnie Trent
- Marshal of Gunsmoke(1944) – Marshal Ward Bailey
- Cowboy Canteen(1944) – Tex Coulter
- Oklahoma Raiders(1944) – Steve Nolan
- Gangsters of the Frontier(1944) – Tex Haines
- Dead or Alive(1944) – Tex Haines aka Idaho Kid
- The Whispering Skull(1944) – Tex Haines
- Marked for Murder(1945) – Tex Haines
- Enemy of the Law(1945) – Tex Haines
- Three in the Saddle(1945) – Tex Haines
- Frontier Fugitives(1945) – Texas Ranger Tex Haines
- Flaming Bullets(1945) – Texas Ranger Tex Haines
- Holiday Rhythm(1950) – Tex Ritter
- Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory(1952) – stock footage from "Where the Buffalo Roam" (uncredited, archive footage)
- The Marshal's Daughter(1953) – Background Singer (singing voice)
- Wichita(1955) – Singer
- Apache Ambush(1955) – Traeger
- The First Bad Man(1955) – Narrator
- Down Liberty Road(1956) – George
- Trooper Hook(1957) – Title Song Singer (voice)
- Ranch Party(1958, TV Series – regular)
- Tom and Jerry(1965, TV Series) – alternate host
- Nashville Rebel(1966) – Himself
- The Girl from Tobacco Row(1966) – Preacher Bolton
- What Am I Bid?(1967) – Tex Ritter
- The Marshal of Windy Hollow(1972) – Windy Hollow mayor
- Sing a Country Song(1973) – Ryan (final film role)
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]Year | Album | US Country | Label |
---|---|---|---|
1948 | "Children's Songs and Stories" (4 p's 78's in a cover with pictures) | Capitol | |
1954 | Cowboy Favorites(4 p's 78's in a cover with pictures) | ||
1958 | Songs from the Western Screen | ||
Psalms | |||
1960 | Blood on the Saddle | ||
1961 | Lincoln Hymns | ||
Hillbilly Heaven | |||
1962 | Stan Kenton! Tex Ritter! | ||
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 | |
Tennessee Blues (Label: Hilltop Records) | |||
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
[edit]Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Country | US [13] | |||
1944 | "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You" | 1 | 11 | singles only |
"There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder" | 2 | 21 | ||
1945 | "Jealous Heart" | 2 | ||
"You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often" | 1 | |||
1946 | "You Will Have To Pay" | 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" | 10 | |||
"Pecos Bill"(w/ Andy Parker & The Plainsmen) | 15 | |||
"Rock and Rye" | 5 | |||
1950 | "Daddy's Last Letter" | 6 | ||
1952 | "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)" | 12 | ||
1956 | "The Wayward Wind" | 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)" | 35 | 90 | An American Legend |
References
[edit]- ^abc"Tex Ritter: Movie Star, Recording Artist, All-Around Talent".Billboard.February 26, 1972. p. CMHF 22.RetrievedAugust 18,2023.
- ^abcde"Tex Ritter".Country Music Hall of Fame.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
- ^Sies, Luther F. (2014).Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition.McFarland & Company, Inc.ISBN978-0-7864-5149-4.P. 558.
- ^""The Round Up" Cast ".Playbill Vault.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
- ^Terrace, Vincent (1999).Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows.McFarland & Company, Inc.ISBN978-0-7864-4513-4.P. 48.
- ^"Golden Era of Success".Billboard.December 7, 1968. p. 46.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
- ^[1]ArchivedOctober 30, 2007, at theWayback Machine
- ^"Actor John Ritter's wife brings message of awareness to condition that led to his death".Abc13.RetrievedJanuary 25,2020.
- ^"Tex Ritter".Hollywood Walk of Fame.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
- ^"Great Western Performers".National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.Archived fromthe originalon July 11, 2015.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
- ^"1998 Inductees..."Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
- ^"The Golden Boot Awards".B-Westerns.RetrievedDecember 27,2016.
- ^Whitburn, Joel (2011).Top Pop Singles 1955–2010.Record Research, Inc. p. 753.ISBN978-0-89820-188-8.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Tex RitteratIMDb
- Tex Ritterat theInternet Broadway Database
- Tex Ritterat The Old Corral (a reference guide for B-Westerns)
- Tex Ritterat theCountry Music Hall of Fame
- Tex Ritter Museum – Carthage, Texas
- Tex Ritter / Edward Finney Collectionat theAutry Museum of the American West
- 1905 births
- 1974 deaths
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singer-songwriters
- 20th-century American male singers
- American actor-politicians
- American country singer-songwriters
- American male film actors
- American male singer-songwriters
- American male television actors
- Columbia Pictures contract players
- Candidates in the 1970 United States elections
- Capitol Records artists
- Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Decca Records artists
- Grand Ole Opry members
- Male Western (genre) film actors
- Members of the Country Music Association
- Musicians from Beaumont, Texas
- People from Carthage, Texas
- Singers from Nashville, Tennessee
- People from Panola County, Texas
- Shasta Records artists
- Singing cowboys
- Singer-songwriters from Tennessee
- Singer-songwriters from Texas
- Tennessee Republicans
- University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni