During the 1930s, partly to avoid the hillbilly image and partly owing to Hollywood's romance with the West, country music headed to the range. Western fringe and cowboy hats turned up on many singers onstage, while Gene Autry and Roy Rogers hit the country charts as "The Singing Cowboy" and the "King of the Cowboys," respectively. Autry made it big in Hollywood and on the radio, singing favorites like "Here Comes Santa Claus" and "Frosty the Snowman." Rogers and his wife, "Queen of the West" Dale Evans, also straddled the worlds of music and movies with their Wild West personas.
The association of country music with the wide open spaces of the western United States made such a deep impact on popular culture during this time that it never quite faded from the public perception of the country genre. To this day, Cowboy Country music serves as a reminder of our continued yearning for a life that's beautiful, pastoral and—ultimately—more simple.
Browse notable film actresses such as Debbie Harry, Lauren Bacall, and Kathy Bates.
In entertainment, where the line between fiction and reality is often blurry, names are a crucial part of a celebrity's image. Stage names are often chosen to make an actor or musician's name easier to pronounce or remember, or simply to make it sounds more attractive. Here are famous celebrities who have changed their names.
Got chaps? Their cowboy and cowgirl personas are tough, rugged, and wild—just like the frontier in which they come from—and in turn, they elicit the nostalgia of The Old West with its fierce individualism and sense of golden opportunity. From the indomitable swagger of John Wayne to the intimidating scowl of Clint Eastwood, explore our Wild West Film Actors group.
View famous people who died in 2001 such as George Harrison, Aaliyah, and Jack Lemmon.
Meet famous people like Arthur Ashe, Whitney Houston, and Mr. Rogers, who died in the month of February.
Browse notable singers such as Mariah Carey, Johnny Cash, and Linda Ronstadt.
Browse notable songwriters and composers such as Irving Berlin, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Leonard Bernstein.
Browse notable television actresses such as Eva Longoria, Joan Collins, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Browse notable television personalities such as Telly Savalas, Julia Child, and Lou Albano.