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Tex Ritter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the singer and actor. For the basketball player, seeTex Ritter (basketball).

Tex Ritter
Ritter in 1966
Ritter in 1966
Background information
Birth nameWoodward Maurice Ritter
Born(1905-01-12)January 12, 1905
Murvaul, Texas,U.S.
DiedJanuary 2, 1974(1974-01-02)(aged 68)
Nashville, Tennessee,U.S.
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • actor
Years active1928–1973
LabelsColumbia,Decca,Capitol
Spouse(s)
​
(m.1941)​

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

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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

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Radio and Broadway

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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

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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
Poster from 1942 film

Recording

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Ritter's grave marker inPort NechesinJefferson County,Texas

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

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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

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Discography

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Albums

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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

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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

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  1. ^abc"Tex Ritter: Movie Star, Recording Artist, All-Around Talent".Billboard.February 26, 1972. p. CMHF 22.RetrievedAugust 18,2023.
  2. ^abcde"Tex Ritter".Country Music Hall of Fame.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
  3. ^Sies, Luther F. (2014).Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition.McFarland & Company, Inc.ISBN978-0-7864-5149-4.P. 558.
  4. ^""The Round Up" Cast ".Playbill Vault.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
  5. ^Terrace, Vincent (1999).Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows.McFarland & Company, Inc.ISBN978-0-7864-4513-4.P. 48.
  6. ^"Golden Era of Success".Billboard.December 7, 1968. p. 46.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
  7. ^[1]ArchivedOctober 30, 2007, at theWayback Machine
  8. ^"Actor John Ritter's wife brings message of awareness to condition that led to his death".Abc13.RetrievedJanuary 25,2020.
  9. ^"Tex Ritter".Hollywood Walk of Fame.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
  10. ^"Great Western Performers".National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.Archived fromthe originalon July 11, 2015.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
  11. ^"1998 Inductees..."Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
  12. ^"The Golden Boot Awards".B-Westerns.RetrievedDecember 27,2016.
  13. ^Whitburn, Joel (2011).Top Pop Singles 1955–2010.Record Research, Inc. p. 753.ISBN978-0-89820-188-8.
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