The “King Of The Cowboys” Or Tragedy?
Roy Rogers was the real-life singing cowboy who brought his talents to the radio, big screen, and television. However, the “King of the Cowboys” proved that the life of a rancher was a tough one, filled with personal tragedies.
1. He Wasn’t Always Roy Rogers
Before he became the “King of the Cowboys,” Roy Rogers was born as Leonard Franklin Slye on November 5, 1911, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His parents, Mattie and Andrew “Andy” Slye, raised him alongside his three sisters: Kathleen, Mary, and Cleda.
Little did they know, their humble beginnings would pave the way for a grand future.
2. He Was Born At Second Base
Rogers spent his earliest years in a humble tenement on 2nd Street in Cincinnati. Years later, the area would become the site of Riverfront Stadium. Ever the charmer, Rogers would often later joke that he was “born at second base”. His childhood, however, was far from a home run.
3. His Family Lived On A Homemade Houseboat
In 1912, Rogers’ father and uncle decided they’d had enough of the city life—and land. Using nothing but salvaged wood, they built a small houseboat. That July, Rogers and the rest of his family put their DIY floater on the Ohio River, bound for a new adventure.
But they only found hardship.
4. His Boat Became His Home
The Slyes eventually docked their houseboat in Portsmouth, Ohio, with hopes of building a home on newly purchased land. Fate, however, had other plans. The Great Flood of 1913 washed away their hopes. However, in an early display of his later frugality, Rogers and his family moved their boat onto dry land, making the temporary watercraft their permanent residence.
The rest of Rogers' childhood wouldn’t be any more glamorous.
5. He Grew Up On A Family Farm
By 1919, Rogers and his family had settled in Duck Run, near Lucasville, Ohio. But their newly built six-room farmhouse was so far into the country that Rogers said “they had to pipe sunlight to us”. It was a place that would shape Rogers’ character and dreams—and (ironically) hone his talents for the future.
6. His Parents Worked Hard—Really Hard
For Rogers and his family, life on the rural farm was hard work—painfully hard. He marveled at his mother who, despite suffering from “lameness”, raised four rambunctious children. He also admired his father for his sacrifices, taking on extra work at a factory in the city during the week.
All of that hard work came with some great perks.
7. He Got A Life-Changing Gift
On weekends, Rogers’ father would return from his factory job bearing gifts for his children. One of those would forever alter the course of Rogers’ life when his father came home with something truly special: a horse. It was on this horse that Rogers first learned the basics of horsemanship.
That wasn’t the only cowboy skill he was learning.
8. He Was The Life Of The Party
Living as remotely as they did, Rogers and his family never owned a radio. So, they came up with their own entertainment. On Saturday nights, they hosted square dances with neighbors, where young Rogers would sing, play the mandolin, and even call the dances himself. He certainly had a lot of practice.
9. He Mastered The Art Of The Yodel
Growing up on the farm, Rogers often had to communicate with his family across several acres. In those days, before cell phones and instant messaging, he had to learn a unique skill: yodeling. He listened to a cylinder of Swiss yodelers on repeat until he and his family developed their own style of yodeling to communicate across the farm.
But it wasn’t just a practical skill—it was the start of a lifelong passion for music.
10. He Quit School For His Family
Rogers’ childhood wasn’t all square dances and yodeling. When the Great Depression hit and his family needed extra income, he stepped up. Leaving school behind, he joined his father at the Portsmouth shoe factory, determined to help make ends meet. Even so, he tried to complete his education another way.
11. He Was Laughed Out Of School
Despite quitting school to work in the factory, Rogers was still determined to continue his education. So, he started taking night classes after his factory shifts. However, one incident saw him quit school altogether. Exhausted from a long shift, he fell asleep during a night class and woke up to ridicule from his classmates.
Disheartened, he gave up on formal schooling entirely. Plus, he had better things to do.
12. He Took His Dreams On The Road
In 1929, Rogers joined his father in a bold journey to the land of dreams: California. While there, Rogers stayed with his sister for months before returning to Ohio with stories of a distant land of opportunity— one that he was destined to return to.
13. His Love For California Was Unshaken
Unable to resist the pull of the Golden State, Rogers found another chance to head west. This time, he traveled with Mary’s father-in-law, and by 1930, his entire family reunited in California, renting a modest house and working on a road construction crew. It seemed like Rogers was finding his footing in life—but once again, fate had darker plans in store for him.
14. He Made It Through The Depression
When construction work dried up in 1931, Rogers took up work picking peaches in Tulare, California. Living in a Depression-era camp, he experienced the harsh realities of hard labor and little pay. But he never lost his resilience or hope for a better future.
A future that was just around the corner.
15. He Auditioned For The Radio
When Rogers returned to California, his sister, Mary, made a bold suggestion. Mary advised the 19-year-old Rogers to audition for a radio program called Midnight Frolic. Rogers, however, was accustomed to performing only in small, family settings back on the family farm.
He would have to muster the courage to face a live broadcast.
16. He Sang Live On Their Air For The First Time
If it hadn’t been for his sister, Mary, Rogers would never have mustered up the courage to overcome his innate shyness and grow into a cowboy legend. Mary crafted a “Western shirt” for her brother and gave him the gentle nudge he needed to perform live on air.
Thankfully, his guitar playing, singing and yodeling reached the right ears.
17. He Joined The Rocky Mountaineers
Just a few short days after making his radio debut, Rogers got the opportunity of a lifetime. Members of a local country music group, the Rocky Mountaineers, reached out to him with an offer he couldn’t refuse: join them and make money with music. Unsurprisingly, Rogers accepted the offer and took the first step towards fulfilling his destiny.
18. He Shared The Spotlight
Even though he could sing, play the guitar, and yodel, Rogers was never one to hog the spotlight. So, shortly after joining the Rocky Mountaineers, he placed an ad in the newspapers that read, “Yodeler for old-time act, to travel. Tenor preferred”. The person who answered the ad would become a legend in his own right.
19. He Gave Another Cowboy Legend His First Big Break
Rogers’ newspaper ad caught the eye of none other than a young, as-yet unknown Bob Nolan—the Canadian-born country singing legend. After a brief audition, Rogers hired Nolan on the spot. Unfortunately, Nolan’s stint with the Rocky Mountaineers was brief, although Rogers and Nolan formed a lifelong friendship that would change country culture forever.
20. He Left His Band
Following his good friend Nolan’s example, Rogers’ left the Rocky Mountaineers in early 1932. He quickly formed another group with fellow Rocky Mountaineers alumnus, Slumber Nichols, but even that group soon disbanded. What followed were challenging times.
21. He Couldn’t Find The Right Band
Rogers knew that he had a future in country music—if he could just find the right band. But, in leaving the Rocky Mountaineers, he started a period of perpetual uncertainty. Rogers bounced between groups like the International Cowboys, O-Bar-O Cowboys, and His Texas Outlaws. All the while, however, he was still playing regularly on the radio.
And one chance radio performance changed his luck—and his heart—forever.
22. He Received A Strange Call On The Radio
Rogers might not have had much luck finding a band, but his luck in finding ladies was nothing short of miraculous. While touring the O-Bar-O Cowboys in Roswell, New Mexico, Rogers and his bandmates received a curious call while on the radio.
23. He Sang For Pie
A woman named Grace Arline Wilkins called into the radio station with a unique proposition for Rogers. She promised the singing cowboy that, if he performed her favorite song, “The Swiss Yodel”, then she would share her talents with him: baking. With the promise of a freshly baked pie, Rogers belted out the tune—and melted Wilkins’ heart.
24. He Married His Mysterious Caller
Clearly, Wilkins could bake as well as Rogers could sing. Following their radio “meeting”, the two remained in touch and fell deeply in love with each other. One thing led to the next, and by June of 1936, Rogers and Wilkins were saying their “I dos” in Roswell, where their wholesome romance began.
25. He Adopted A Girl
By all accounts, Rogers and Wilkins enjoyed a happy marriage, even through the ups and downs of Rogers’ early career in entertainment. In fact, things were going so well for the happy couple that, in 1941, they adopted a girl named Cheryl Darlene.
Having children of their own, however, would come at a terrible price.
26. He Gained A Family—But Lost A Wife
Two years after adopting their first child, Rogers and Wilkins conceived a daughter of their own, Linda Lou. After that, they had another child, a son named Roy Junior (“Dusty"”) in 1946. But what should have been one of the happiest moments in Rogers’ life turned into tragedy. Just days after giving birth to Dusty, Wilkins succumbed to complications, turning Rogers into a widower.
Though his heart was broken, he couldn't let his grief the growing momentum of his fame.
27. He Teamed Up With Nolan
Back in 1933, Rogers teamed up with his good friend Nolan and another cowboy named Tim Spencer to form the Pioneers Trio. With Rogers on guitar, Nolan on bass, and Spencer carrying the vocals, the band rehearsed until their sound was pitch perfect. But one thing was missing.
28. He Was Too Young To Be A Pioneer
Rogers and his new band had no trouble getting air time with their authentic country sound. However, something just wasn’t quite right: their name. When a radio announcer commented that Rogers and his bandmates were “too young to be pioneers”, they changed their name to Sons of the Pioneers.
The rebrand was just what the band needed.
29. His Music Dominated The Airwaves
By mid-1934, Rogers and his Sons of the Pioneers bandmates had taken over the airwaves. Eager to capitalize on their Los Angeles popularity, radio stations syndicated segments of shows where Rogers and his bandmates showcased their talents, and rebroadcast them across the entire country.
A major breakthrough was just one short country-mile away.
30. He Signed A Record Deal
With their country music gaining popularity from coast to coast, Rogers and his Sons of the Pioneers bandmates signed a recording deal. Between 1934 and 1936, Rogers recorded 32 songs with Sons of the Pioneers for Decca, including classics like “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “Cool Water”. Rogers’ career, however, was about to take an unexpected turn.
31. He Branched Out Into Film
By 1935, Rogers’ talents had outgrown the airwaves. In what would prove to be a better medium for his skills, Rogers began appearing Western films. He usually appeared as a member of a band, credited under his real name, Leonard Slye. However, when he appeared in a Gene Autry movie, he had no idea that he would become a cowboy legend in his own right.
32. He Stepped Up When Autry Stepped Out
In 1938, when Rogers was still just a country music star, Gene Autry was one of the highest-grossing Western film stars in Hollywood. However, when the studio cast Autry for Under Western Stars, the original singing cowboy asked for a steep pay increase. The studio, unwilling to pay Autry’s exorbitant rate, held auditions to replace him.
Autry’s bad luck would be Rogers’ big break.
33. He Beat The Best
When word got out that the studio was trying to replace the legendary Gene Autry, every country singer from around the wild west turned up at the auditions. Even big names in country music, like Willie Phelps of the Phelps brothers who had on-screen experience, vied for the chance of a lifetime. Destiny, however, was calling one name only.
34. He Replaced A Western Legend
Given the number and resumes of the singers who auditioned to replace Autry, it looked unlikely that Rogers would win out. However, once Rogers opened his mouth to sing, the Hollywood bigwigs behind Western-style films knew that they had found their diamond in the rough. They just had to polish it off a little.
35. He Underwent A Major Rebrand
Rogers was a real cowboy in every way—except, apparently, for his name. In his autobiography, Happy Trails: The Story of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Rogers revealed how he went from Leonard Slye, humble country music singer, to Roy Rogers, the epitome of the Western-film star.
36. He Took After Will Rogers
In his autobiography, Rogers claimed that the executives at Republic Pictures had such high hopes for his career that they gave him an auspicious stage name. They took “Rogers” from the recently departed Western icon and storyteller, Will Rogers, believing that audiences would have positive associations with the name. His new first name carried even more significance.
37. He Truly Was The “King”
In a few short years, Rogers would become Western royalty—and he had the name to suit. Executives at Republic Pictures had chosen the name “Roy” as a reference to the French word “roi”, meaning “king”. Just like that, they had dubbed the humble, country-singing, yodeling farm boy as “Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys”.
Of course, no king or cowboy would be complete without their trusted steed.
38. He Found His Trusty Steed
In Under Western Stars, Rogers rode a horse named Trigger. The Golden Palomino, formerly named “Golden Cloud”, had already served as the trusted steed of stars like Olivia de Havilland in The Adventures of Robin Hood. But it was obvious that Rogers and Trigger had a special connection—so he bought the horse for $2,500! And he was worth every penny.
39. His Horse Was The Smartest Horse
From 1938 onwards, Rogers only ever had one trusted companion: Trigger. In all of his subsequent films and television shows, Rogers only appeared riding the Golden Palomino that quickly became known as the “smartest horse in the movies”.
In fact, Trigger was a bigger star than some of Hollywood’s leading thespians.
40. His Horse Was More Important Than His Wife
Rogers and Trigger become so inseparable that the Golden Palomino even replaced Rogers’ wife—though, thankfully, not in bed. In many of Rogers’ films, studios often gave Trigger second billing above Rogers’ second wife and frequent collaborator, Dale Evans. Sadly, Trigger’s galloping career came to an end when he passed in 1965 at 33 years of age.
41. He Became A “Matinee Idol”
1938’s Under Western Stars could have been just another Gene Autry movie. Instead, the film became a vehicle for Rogers, introducing him (and his trusted steed) to Western film fans. From then on, Rogers became a “matinee idol”, rivaling Autry in audiences’ hearts—and at the box office.
42. He Topped The Box Office
When the Motion Picture Herald conducted a poll in 1939, they found something shocking: there truly was a new “King of the Cowboys” in town. Most people expected Gene Autry to top the Herald’s Top Ten Money-Making Western Stars poll. Instead, however, Rogers topped the list from 1943 to 1954, and appeared for 16 consecutive years.
And, with what he did next, he proved that cowboys weren’t simple-minded.
43. He Was A Clever Negotiator
In his original contract with Republic Pictures, most of the box office money from his movies went to the studio. But, when it came for renegotiation, Rogers outsmarted the slick Hollywood producers. He introduced a clause in his contract, retaining the rights to “his likeness, voice, and name for merchandising”.
Then he cashed in.
44. He Sold Tons Of Merch
Rogers capitalized on his popularity far beyond the box office. Throughout his long film career, he sold Roy Rogers merchandise of all kinds, from action figures and playsets to novels and comic books. He even rivaled the biggest merchandiser in Hollywood history.
45. He Was Almost As Big As Disney
At the box office, Rogers was second to none. His Westerns raked in the dough like a farmer harvesting a bumper crop. Even in retail stores, Rogers only played second fiddle to the greatest merchandiser in Hollywood: Walt Disney. He had almost as many items featuring his name and likeness as Disney had at the height of its popularity.
46. He Met His Perfect Match
Rogers’ box office and retail receipts weren’t the only things heating up. In 1944, while he was still married to Grace Wilkins, Rogers met another woman, Dale Evans, on the set of Cowboy and the Senorita. They didn’t know it at the time, but they were destined to do great things together.
47. He Found Love After Heartbreak
When Rogers’ first wife, Wilkins, passed in 1946, he took the loss particularly hard. But, little did he know that he had already met the woman who would mend his broken heart. Shortly after Wilkins’ untimely end, Rogers and Evans fell in love. A short time after, Rogers stunned Evans with a bold move.
48. He Made A Wild Proposal
Rogers and Evans were performing in a rodeo at Chicago Stadium in 1947, but the audience was in for a wild ride of a different kind. Instead of getting whiplash from bucking broncos, Rogers gave everyone a surprise when he proposed to Dale Evans while riding on his famed horse, Trigger.
Only the most cowboy wedding would be appropriate for the most cowboy proposal.
49. He Got Married At A Ranch
In 1946, Rogers and Evans had filmed Home in Oklahoma at the Flying L Ranch. It seemed as good a place as any, then, for the cowboy wedding of the century. Amidst a hum of excitement, Rogers and Evans tied the knot, marking the beginning of a special romance.
50. He And Evans Made Dozens Of Movies Together
Rogers and Evans had been partners long before their marriage. Ever since the pair starred together in 1944’s Cowboy and the Senorita, the two had been practically inseparable on-screen. Between 1944 and 1951, they appeared in nearly 30 films together, culminating with Pals of the Golden West, cementing their legacy in the golden age of Western cinema.
And everything in their films was truly authentic—even Rogers' stunts. Everyone knew he was fearless in these daring scenes, but there would come a day when he would take his daring authenticity a step too far.
51. He Starred In His Own Show
When Rogers’ contract with Republic Records expired in 1951, he chose to do something that no one could have predicted: he walked away. But he wasn’t riding off into the sunset just yet—he was simply finding greener pastures. Just one month after his final film with the studio, his show, The Roy Rogers Show, premiered.
It would reshape Western cinema forever.
52. His Show Always Had A Message With A Moral
Between 1951 and 1957, Rogers and Evans starred in 100 episodes of The Roy Rogers Show together. The popular Western blended modernity with tradition in a way that no other show had. Writing in his book King of the Cowboys, Queen of the West: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Raymond White said, “Many of the shows expressed a moral, and several preached a Christian message”.
Behind the scenes, however, Rogers was more concerned with one thing.
53. He Thought He Was Underpaid
Throughout the The Roy Rogers Show’s long run, Rogers griped about the “penny-pinching” producer. The Western film star had grown accustomed to box office sized paychecks and thought that he was chronically underpaid for his own show. Plus, he had mouths to feed.
54. He Had A Long—But Challenging—Marriage
Rogers and Evans proved that the couple that worked together stayed together. Over the course of their five decade-long marriage, Rogers and Evans had one natural child together and adopted an additional four more. But their marriage was full of tragedy and hardship.
55. He Lost A Daughter To Mumps
One of Rogers’ and Evans’ adopted children, Robin Elizabeth, had Down’s syndrome. Tragically, that wouldn’t be the most difficult challenge for the Western couple. Sometime before her second birthday, Robin Elizabeth contracted mumps and succumbed to complications arising from the disease.
Sadly, this was just the start of the family's tragedy—and the next harrowing event would threaten to destroy everything.
56. He Grieved For Decades
Despite the fact that they were tough ranchers by nature, the loss of their daughter devastated Rogers and Evans. Even decades later, the couple was still trying to process their grief with Evans writing about the tragedy in her book, Angel Unaware.
Fortunately, they had other children to comfort them.
57. He Adopted More Kids
In addition to Robin Elizabeth, Rogers and Evans had adopted three other girls: Mimi, Dodie, and Debbie. They also adopted one boy, Sandy. With an ever-expanding brood, they would need more space to stretch out. And Rogers knew exactly the spot.
58. He Moved To An Idyllic Ranch
Rogers didn’t just play a cowboy in film and television. He was the real deal—and he had the ranch to prove it. Sometime in 1955, he purchased a 300-acre ranch in California. The sprawling property, just outside of Chatsworth, was like something out of one of Rogers’ films, complete with a hilltop ranch house.
But it wouldn’t be home for long.
59. He Lost Another Child
In 1964, Rogers suffered yet another personal tragedy. This time, his adopted daughter, Debbie, was participating in a church outing when the bus crashed. The accident claimed her life and added to Rogers’ growing list of departed loved ones. Following the accident, Rogers moved his family to Double R Bar Ranch in Apple Valley, California.
He only had his faith to lean on.
60. He Was A Devout Christian
Throughout his career, Rogers remained a devout and outspoken Christian. In fact, in 1949, he and Evans joined the Hollywood Christian Group. Rogers carried his Christian values with him throughout his working life—even on set.
61. He Thought Wonder Woman Wasn’t Wonderful
Later on in his career, Rogers made a guest appearance in an episode of Wonder Woman. But, when Rogers showed up to film the episode, “The Bushwackers”, his Christian values clashed with the show’s less modest elements.
62. He Told Lynda Carter To Put Clothes On
When Rogers saw Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter in her “revealing costume” he pronounced that the outfit was “too provocative” for Western audiences. The King of the Cowboys declared, “I'm not filming anything with her until she puts some clothes on”.
63. He Made Wonder Woman Change Her Costume
Because of Rogers’ insistence, Carter did, in fact, undergo a costume change for the episode. Costuming gave her a more “conservative” outfit that consisted of a “long sleeve shirt and white long pants”.
64. He Was A Freemason
Christianity wasn’t the only community to which Rogers belonged. He was a lifelong Freemason, earning the “honorary 33rd degree of the Scottish Rite”. But, no matter how successful or well-connected he became, he never forgot his humbler roots.
65. He Steered Clear Of Politics
Rogers’ success in Hollywood attracted attention in the least likely place of all: Washington DC. As a lifelong Republican, members of the Republican National Convention asked Rogers to run for Congress, seeking to capitalize on his universal popularity. His reply, however, was truly stunning. “I have both Democrat and Republican fans,” he said, “and I can't afford to lose any of them!”
That’s not the only way he stayed humble.
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66. He Kept The Band Together
Rogers’ old band, Sons of the Pioneers, continued making music after his departure. Even as his stardom reached higher than a star on a barn door, Rogers often had his old band serving as backup in his films and television appearances. He even continued performing with them right up until the very end.
Which was closer than he knew.
67. He Lived A Long—And Challenging—Life
After a long life filled with equal parts triumph and tragedy, Rogers succumbed to congestive heart failure at the age 86. His surviving family members, including his wife Dale Evans, had him buried at Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Apple Valley, California.
His real resting place, however, was with the stars.
68. He Has Three Stars On The Walk Of Fame
Most Hollywood actors are lucky if they ever get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Roy Rogers, however, has a whopping three stars on the famous boulevard, cementing his crown as the true “King of the Cowboys”.
69. He Filmed In A Dust Storm
Remember when we mentioned Roger's fearless attitude on set? 1951’s Pals of the Golden West features an iconic dust storm that was emblematic of the West. Shockingly, the dusty tempest wasn’t the creation of special effects—it was entirely real. However, Rogers was a true cowboy and accustomed to a little dust in his eyes, so filming continued throughout the terrible storm.
Thankfully, he survived that ordeal and moved onto something bigger—The Roy Rogers Show.