VACATIONS MADE EASY : DESTINATIONS : LOS ANGELES, CA : EVENT CALENDAR

Happy 100th Birthday, Gene Autry at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles, CA

On September 29, 2006, Los Angeles celebrated the 100th birthday of late performer Gene Autry in Griffith Park with a marathon screening of his first film series. Phantom Empire, a 12-part science fiction serial, was made in 1935 and provided Autry with his first starring role. Hundreds of fans turned out to Griffith Park to watch Phantom Empire in its entirety: a four-hour ordeal. Karla Buhlman of Gene Autry Entertainment hosted the screening.

Gene Autry was born in 1907 and died in 1998 at the age of 91. He first gained fame on the radio as the "Singing Cowboy" before taking the character to movies and television. He is best known for his recordings o Christmas songs - Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Here Comes Santa Claus (which he wrote as well.) He is a member of the Nashville Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. He also was an owner of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team from 1961 until his death.

Points of Interest

Autry National Center in Los Angeles, CA

Gene Autry was one of America's most-loved entertainers whose sixty-year career spanned every aspect of the industry including radio, music, film, television, and even rodeo.