JIMMY WAKELY BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Jimmy Wakely was born on February 16th, 1914 in Mineola, Arkansas with the birth name Jimmy Clarence Wakely, born to Major Anderson Wakeley and Caroline Wakeley. From a young age he possessed various music talents and was raised in Oklahoma where he originally worked as a farmer.  

He decided to hone in on his talents and formed the vocal trio, "The Bell Boys".  They would perform at local nightclubs and during one of their performances, Gene Autry took notice of them and invited them to come to California and perform on his Melody Ranch radio Program on CBS.
 
Realizing they had a talent, the group decided to remain living in Los Angeles and soon were given a chance to debut in the Roy Rogers film, "Saga of Death valley" (1939) also starring starring George 'Gabby' Hayes, Don 'Red' Barry, Doris Day, Jack Ingram and Hal Taliaferro.  Soon jimmy was signed to Decca records and recorded such songs as, "Roll On", "I'm Sending You Red Roses", "One has My Name, The Other has My Heart", "Beautiful Brown Eyes" and "I'll Never Let You Go".
 
Over time, Wakely's musical groups had a variety of names such as, 'The Jimmy Wakely Trio', 'Jimmy Wakely and His Saddle Pals', 'Jimmy Wakely Trio' and 'James Wakely'.  His musical group provided songs for such 'B' westerns as, "Hopalong Cassidy", "Charles Starrett", Don 'Red' Barry" and "The Range Busters" among many others.

When Monogram Pictures executive, Scott R. Dunlap took notice of Jimmy, he was taken under their wing and for the next five years, he appeared in such films as, "Song of the Range" (1944) with Dennis Moore, Lee 'Lasses' White, Hugh Prosser, George Eldredge and Edmund Cobb, "Cowboy from Lonesome River" (1944) with Charles Starrett, Vi Athens and Dub Taylor, "Sagebrush Heroes" (1945) with Charles Starrett, Dub Taylor, Constance Worth, Forrest Taylor and Lane Chandler and "Lawless Code" (1949) with Dub Taylor and Ellen Hall.  In total he appeared in 28 Westerns with Monogram between 1944 and 1949.
 
Other film credits included, "I'm from Arkansas" (1944) starring with Slim Summerville, El Brendel and Iris Adrian, "Roaring Westward" (1949) with Dub Taylor, Dennis Moore and Kay Morley, "Arrow in the Dust" (1954) starring Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Keith Larsen and Tom Tully, "Money, Women and Guns" (1958) with Jock Mahoney, Kim Hunter, Tim Hovey, Gene Evans, William Campbell, Tom Drake, Lon Chaney Jr. and James Gleason and his last role was as, the Marshal on the television series, "Shotgun Slade" in 1959 starring Scott Brady.  

Along with his film work he maintained his love for live performing and continued to compose songs and perform them on various stages.  In 1952 he was given his own show, "The Jimmy Wakely Show" on CBS Radio.

In addition to his film and stage work he also made time to develop his own record company called, Shasta Records and also owned two additional publishing companies and had his own series of comic books, D.C. Comics.     

In 1936 he married, Inez and they had a total of four daughters together and remained married until he passed away on September 23rd, 1982 in Mission Hills, California after suffering from heart failure.  For his contribution to the Recording Industry he was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  He was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971 as well as the Western Music Association Hall of Fame in 1991.  His remains are interred alongside his wife at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.  

Filmography

1959         Shotgun Slade
1958         Talk of the Town
1956-1960    Ozark Jubilee
1958         Money, Women and Guns
1954         Arrow in the Dust
1954         Jimmy Wakely's Jamboree
1953         The Marshal's Daughter
1949         Lawless Code
1949         Roaring Westward
1949         Brand of Fear
1949         Across the Rio Grande
1949         Gun Law Justice
1949         Gun Runner
1948         Courtin' Trouble
1948         Outlaw Brand
1948         Silver Trails
1948         Cowboy Cavalier
1948         Range Renegades
1948         Partners of the Sunset
1948         The Rangers Ride
1948         Oklahoma Blues
1948         Song of the Drifter
1947         Ridin' Down the Trail
1947         Song of the Wasteland
1947         Six-Gun Serenade
1947         Rainbow Over the Rockies
1946         Song of the Sierras
1946         Trail to Mexico
1946         West of the Alamo
1946         Moon Over Montana
1945         Lonesome Trail
1945         Riders of the Dawn
1945         Saddle Serenade
1945         Springtime in Texas
1945         Rough Ridin' Justice
1945         Sagebrush Heroes
1944         Git Along Little Pony
1944         Saddle Leather Law
1944         Montana Plains 
1944         Song of the Range
1944         Cyclone Prairie Rangers
1944         I'm from Arkansas
1944         Cowboy from Lonesome River
1944         Swing in the Saddle
1944         Sundown Valley
1943         Cowboy in the Clouds
1943         The Lone Star Trail
1943         Robin Hood of the Range
1943         Raiders of San Joaquin
1943         Cheyenne Roundup
1943         Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground
1942         The Old Chisholm Trail
1942         Strictly in the Groove
1942         Little Joe, the Wrangler
1942         Deep in the Heart of Texas
1942         Come on Danger
1942         Heart of the Rio Grande
1941         Twilight on the Trail
1941         Stick to Your Guns
1941         Redskins and Redheads 
1941         Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
1941         Six Lessons from Madame La Zonga
1940         Pony Post
1940         Texas Terrors
1940         Give Us Wings
1940         The Tulsa Kid
1939         Saga of Death Valley