On This Day in 1947, the King of Singing Cowboys Released a Christmas Classic That Has Been Covered by Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, and Bob Dylan

October 6, 2026, 3:15pm

On this day (October 6) in 1947, Gene Autry released “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane).” He wrote the song with Oakley Haldeman and Harriet Melka. It became a crossover hit, landing in the top 10 on the pop and country charts. More importantly, the song has stood the test of time and remains in heavy rotation during the holiday season. Artists like Elvis Presley, Big Crosby, RuPaul, The Wiggles, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson, among many others, have covered it over the years.

When Columbia Records asked Autry to record “An Old Fashioned Tree” ahead of the 1947 Christmas season, it inspired him to write a new original holiday song. He wrote the lyrics and took them to Haldeman, who composed the music with Melka. Country singer Johnny Bond recorded the original demo. His recording used tinkling ice cubes, which inspired Autry’s single to use sleigh bells. It is widely believed that those ice cubes were in a cocktail that Columbia A&R head Art Satherly was drinking during Bond’s recording session, according to Songfacts.

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“Here Comes Santa Claus” made Autry a go-to artist for holiday hits. As a result, songwriter Johnny Marks approached him with “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in 1949. He initially turned it down. Then, his wife convinced him to reconsider. His recording topped the pop charts and, like his previous hit, became a holiday classic.

Riding in a Parade Inspired Gene Autry’s Christmas Classic

When Gene Autry decided to write a holiday song, he looked back on the experience of riding in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade, which is currently the Hollywood Boulevard Christmas Parade. He rode on his trusty steed, Champion, in full movie cowboy regalia. Despite being one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, he found himself overshadowed by the parade’s real star.

The children gathered at the Christmas parade didn’t care about the King of the Singing Cowboys or his trusty steed. Instead, they were excited about Santa Claus, who was bringing up the rear of the procession. Autry heard them excitedly yelling “Here comes Santa Claus!” as he rode by. The joy and excitement he saw in the children’s faces stuck with him and became the inspiration for a holiday classic.

Featured Image by CBS via Getty Images