Born on This Day in 1914, the Singing Cowboy Turned Movie and Comic Book Star Who Penned Songs Recorded by Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Ray Price

On this day (February 16) in 1914, Jimmy Wakely was born in Mineola, Arkansas. His decades-long career started on an Oklahoma-based radio station and led him to Hollywood. There, he appeared in multiple Western films alongside Gene Autry and other singing cowboys.

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When Wakely was still a child, his family relocated to Oklahoma. In 1936, while he was in his early 20s, he relocated to Oklahoma City, where he began working at WKY radio. There, he formed the Singing Cowboy Trio with Johnny Bond and Scotty Harrell. They later became the Bell Boys before changing their name to The Jimmy Wakely Trio.

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The trio stayed busy with live performances and radio appearances. Then, in 1940, Wakely and Bond were invited by Gene Autry to relocate to California and join the Melody Ranch cast. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, they added Dick Reinhart to the trio and began appearing in films alongside other singing cowboys.

Jimmy Wakely Becomes a Movie Star

Jimmy Wakely was already working on solo projects in 1942. Two years later, he signed a deal with Monogram Pictures. There, he styled himself after Gene Autry and began playing the lead in a long line of Western films.

He was under contract with the studio for five years. In that time, he made 28 films. However, his fame as a singing cowboy didn’t stop there. In 1949, DC Comics began publishing what would be an 18-issue series of comic books that stretched until the summer of 1952. The comics billed him as “Hollywood’s Sensational Cowboy Star.”

Songwriting and Recording Career

Jimmy Wakely started releasing solo singles in 1943. The next year, he landed a No. 2 country hit with “I’m Sending You Red Roses.” The peak of his recording career was just around the corner.

In 1948, Wakely kicked off a string of hits with “Signed, Sealed, and Delivered.” He followed that with his biggest career hit. “One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)” went to No. 1 on the country chart and No. 10 on the pop chart. His final hit came in 1950 when “Mona Lisa” reached No. 10.

Decades later, some of his songs were recorded by the next generation of country legends. For instance, Willie Nelson recorded “It Wouldn’t Be the Same Without You,” which Wakely penned with Fred Rose. Chris Isaak and Elvis Presley also recorded versions of the tune.

Merle Haggard and Leona Williams turned Wakely’s “You Can’t Break the Chains of Love” into a duet in 1983.

Other artists to cut Wakely’s songs include Ray Price, Hank Cochran, Jean Shepard, the Wilburn Brothers, and Tex Williams.

Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images