WHEREAS, The passing, on October 2, 1998, of Mr. Orvon Gene Autry, the singing cowboy superstar of the silver screen, media entrepreneur, and original owner of the Anaheim Angels, has brought immense sorrow and loss to people throughout the State of California, the nation, and the world; and

WHEREAS, Gene Autry was born on September 29, 1907, in Tioga, Texas, at five years of age, he began singing in the church choir, and at 12 years of age, he was taught to play the guitar by his mother; and

WHEREAS, Gene Autry, America’s first and favorite singing cowboy, contributed extensively to the people of the state through his many activities; and

WHEREAS, Gene Autry’s more than 60-year career encompassed every facet of the entertainment business, from radio and recording artist to motion picture star, television star, broadcast executive, and major league baseball owner; and

WHEREAS, Gene Autry is the only entertainer to have five stars on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, one each for radio, records, movies, television, and live theater, including rodeo performances; and

WHEREAS, Gene Autry began his radio career in 1928, made his first recordings one year later, and by 1937 was America’s Favorite Cowboy; he was voted the No. 1 western star by the theater exhibitors of America ; and by 1940, he placed fourth in Motion Picture Herald’s annual poll of all stars in terms of box office drawing power at the nation’s theaters; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his success in movies, Gene Autry continued on radio until 1956; he became the first major movie star to enter the television medium in 1950 ; and for the next five years, he produced and starred in 91 half-hour episodes of The Gene Autry Show, and produced several popular television series; and

WHEREAS, Gene Autry appeared in 94 feature films and made 635 recordings, 200 of which he wrote or cowrote, and some of his best-known movies are based on his hit records; and

WHEREAS, Gene Autry’s records have sold more than 60 million copies, and he received over a dozen gold records, including the first record ever certified gold for over a million copies sold, “That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine”; another, “Be Honest With Me,” was nominated for an Academy Award; and his Christmas and children’s records, “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Peter Cottontail,” went platinum for over two million copies sold, and the second all-time best-selling single, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” boasts over 30 million in sales; and

WHEREAS, Gene Autry’s great love for baseball prompted him to acquire the American League California Angels in 1961; and

WHEREAS, A long-cherished dream came true with the opening, in November 1988, of the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, which features exhibitions of important historical artifacts and significant works of art, covering a timespan from prehistoric native cultures to the present day; and the museum has been renamed the Autry Museum of Western Heritage; and

WHEREAS, In 1993, he was the subject of Biography on the Arts and Entertainment Cable Network, and in late 1994, he appeared in the American Movie Classics television special, “Gene Autry: Melody of the West”; and

WHEREAS, Included among Gene Autry’s many honors and awards is the National Cowboy Hall of Fame induction, the Songwriters Guild Life Achievement Award, and the Hubert H. Humphrey Humanitarian of the Year Award, all tributes to a man whose natural talent, personal integrity, sincerity of character, and concern for the well-being of his fellow man have been of inestimable value to, and revered by, admiring fans and friends throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, The high esteem in which Gene Autry is held by his loving family, his numerous friends, and other individuals fortunate enough to have known him stands as a testament for others who strive for the best in life, and his memory will live forever in the hearts and minds of those people who knew him; now, therefore, be it