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'MR. COWBOY’ COMING
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REX ALLEN
By CHUCK SPILMAN
Featured entertainer for this
year’s Shrine Rodeo needs no
introduction to southern Okla-
homans. He’s known as “Mis-
ter Cowboy” to his millions
and this will be his third ap-
pearance in the local rodeo.
Rex Allen, handsome sing-
ing cowboy, will entertain
Shrine Rodeo goers when the
four-day run opens April 3,
lasting through to April 6.
Allen will make nightly ap-
pearances during the rodeo at
the Hardy Murphy Coliseum.
The Arizona cowboy was last
featured in the 1965 Shrine
Rodeo.
Many of the nation’s top
cowboys will be competing in
the RCA approved rodeo which
is sponsored by the Ardmore
Shrine Club.
Profits from the rodeo will
go toward treatment of burn,
crippled, and underprivileged
left the rodeo circuit. After
months of singing for anyone
who would listen, Allen finally
landed his first professional
singing job on a Trenton, N.J.
radio station.
In 1945 executives of Chi-
cago’s famous National Barn
Dance show called young Al-
len to their studies for an au-
dition. Rex was not only hired
as a regular on the show, but
within a few months he be-
came one of the biggest stars
in the history of the show.
In the same year, however,
his success was dimmed by a
serious eye problem which al-
most put a halt to his spiral-
ing career. After delicate eye
surgery in Chicago, Rex re-
sumed his singing career that
was to lead to recording star-
dom, motion picture fame and
his own televison series.
Allen left Chicago and in
1949 found himself in Holly-
children of southern Oklaho-
ma.
Presently there are two lo-
cal crippled children being
treated in the Shrine Crippled
Childrens’ Hospital at St. Louis
Mo.
Allen is no over night suc-
cess. He was born in Wilcox,
Ariz., worked on a ranch own-
ed by his father, and it was a
long way from this life to
world fame. To the young boy,
singing was always the na-
tural way to express his feel-
ings, but his horse and the
cowhands on the family ranch
were his only audience.
On his eleventh birthday his
father bought Rex a mail
order house guitar. Within a
few months the talented youth
was singing and playing his
guitar at local church func-
tions and benefits.
By the time he reached the
age of 13, Rex had become"
wood and in his first movie,
“The Arizona Cowboy”. The
film established Allen as a
star and he and his famous
horse Koko galloped through a
succession of western thrillers.
The popular screen favorite
then starred in his own TV
series, “Frontier Doctor”.
Adding to his versatility,
Allen waxed one hit disk after
another, and composed hun-
dreds of successful songs. At
last count, Rex has penned
more than 300 published songs.
His albums, “Faith Of a Man”
and his most recent, “Rex
Allen Sings and Tells Tales”
include songs written by the
talented singer-songwriter.
Although today, Allen no
longer competes on a bucking
horse, he still loves the com-
petitive thrill of a rodeo. “I
love the personal appearance
dates at a rodeo or fair more1
See ALLEN, Page 3
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Rex Allen to Entertain Again at Shrine Rodeo
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known throughout the state as
the young cowboy with the
amazing voice, and made his
radio debut at the state Cattle-
men’s convention. He continu-
ed to practice, and performed
for more school functions,
dances and benefits.
Upon graduating from high
school, Rex was offered a
scholarship to the University
of Arizona. But, the life of
bucking broncos and the ex-
citement of the rodeo trail was
too tempting —Rex turned
down the scholarship and blaz-
ed through the rodeo circuit
for the next two years.
As a sideline to being a
rodeo contestant, the blonde
six - footer entertained fans
with his songs and guitar. As
time went on, Rex realized
his heart was in music and
his first love was singing.
Determined to make sing-
ing his lifetime career, Rex