Tex Ritter

America's Most Beloved Cowboy

By: Bill O'Neal

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Known as “America’s Most Beloved Cowboy,” Tex Ritter’s career spanned more than four decades. Few entertainers have enjoyed as versatile a career as Ritter, with his accomplishments spanning music, radio, the stage, and movies.

Ritter was one of the biggest cowboy stars in an era where cowboy superstars reigned supreme. John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry were all at the heights of their careers at the same time as Ritter, and his star power burned just as bright.

Tex Ritter was a pioneer in country music who became one of the major cowboy stars in movies. His career spanned from the mid-1930s to the 1960s. He got his start in show business in 1928 as a singer and soon became a radio star before moving onto the silver screen.

His credits included more than seventy movies as an actor and more than ninety performances on various movie soundtracks. His most notable performance was the classic Western High Noon theme song. He also had a string of hit singles on the Billboard charts, including several country music number-one hits.

His many honors included a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1964, and the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1980.