Roy Rogers started out poor when he first came to California from Ohio during the Great Depression, and he picked fruit for a living like my ancestors did, and he drove a truck, and he did whatever he could to make honest money. He played guitar and sang at the homeless camps for the fruit pickers, and that was how he developed his skill as a guitar player and singer and entertainer. Then, he became more and more involved with music, and he traveled around and performed on radio stations, and whatever they could do to earn money for food, he said he was always hungry. Then one day he was on a radio station and he told the listeners that he was hungry and that he loved lemon pie, so a listener brought a lemon pie to him, and her name was Arlene and that was how Roy met his first wife. ( I think that is the story. )
Then Roy went to get his hat cleaned, and the guy at the hat store told him about a job for a singing cowboy. Roy went and applied for the job, and the rest is history. Roy became a huge star like Gene Autry.
Roy and the Sons of the Pioneers played at swimming pool parties for William Randolph Hearst in San Simeon, and Roy was friends with all of the rich and famous people. And over the years Roy Rogers was friends with Ronald Reagan and with other Presidents of the United States.
Roy went from being a poor kid from Ohio, to being the King of the Cowboys.
I just wish he would have valued an education more.
I spent 2 days with Roy Rogers, one day my Brother took me to Roy's Daughter Dodie's house for Christmas Day and I spent the whole day with Roy and Dale, and Roy told me stories all day. Then, on another day, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were at my Brother's wedding, when my Brother married their Granddaughter Kristen. Roy and Dale were very nice people, and they were very kind.
I wanted for my Brother's children to all attend college, their Great Grandparents were Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, I wanted for them to all go to Harvard, and to get the best education the USA had to offer. But, instead they all moved to Alabama, and none of them went to college. And they had problems with meth, and other stupid low life shit that they should not have been around. Now they all have tattoos and bad teeth, etc. That seems to be the direction America wants to go, tattoos and bad teeth. But we can try to get them to go to Harvard.
Anyhow, I liked Roy, I just wish he would have valued an education more, and I wish he would have sent all of the kids to college.
Salute,
Tony V.