The "Happy Trails To You...Until We Meet Again! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Wondering how many of those reading my story today will recognize where I got the title for today's story.  Came from the wife of one of my favorite cowboys, Roy Rogers.  Roy was a cowboy star while I was growing up in the 40s and 50s. And, a cowboy star very seldom killed anyone but the bad guy.  The cowboy star may fight the bad guy but never take advantage of him.  You gained the victory over your rival by being a "Good Guy."  Now, that was Roy Rogers!  

LDub with my Roy Rogers chaps, gun, rope,
holster and cowboy hat.  Roy was tops!  My
chaps have "Roy Rogers" printed on them.
Mom made me wear a black hat and I hated it.

I never once saw Roy kiss a girl on TV.  Same goes for marrying a girl on his show.  Heavens...he was married to Dale Evans.  So, when he rode off into the sunset at the end of his shows, he did it alone.  That's what a good cowboy did.  I was considered at the time a member of the cap-pistol set.  Others like myself, as well as the boys who wore brightly checkered shirts hanging down outside their pants, were Roy's followers on his TV show.  As a young boy I never knew Roy to do anything wrong.  He was one of my TV heroes.  He along with Wild Bill Hickok, The Lone Ranger and Tonto, The Cisco Kid and Poncho, Davey Crockett and Hopalong Cassidy filled my afternoons, Saturdays and Sundays with thrill after thrill as they defeated the bad guys and rode off into the sunset.  But, Roy was always my all-time hero when he rode Trigger onto the scene to save the day.  And, he really was a cowboy in real life.  I recently read an article about Roy and his career struggles and real life relationships.  He was born on November 5, 1911 in Cincinnati, Ohio.  

Roy and his brother with their instruments.

His real name was Leonard Slye.  I had a hard time thinking he was anyone other than Roy Rogers in his life.  A year after he was born, his Dad and brother built a houseboat and took the family up the Ohio River to Portsmouth.  The family bought a plot of land on which to build a house, but when the river flooded, they just moved the houseboat onto the property.  Then in 1919 the family moved to Lucasville, Ohio and Roy (just can't call him Leonard) was able to have a horse.  It was at this time in his life that he became an entertainer when he got a mandolin and began singing for the family.  His family was poor so he had to drop out of school to work with his dad at a local shoe factory.  

A very young Roy Rogers.  Always
wore a white hat so you would know
he was a good guy.

Then in 1931 the family moved to California where Roy sang and yodeled with "The Rocky Mountaineres" on local radio.  Two years later he married Lucile Ascolese who was one of his admirers.  The relationship didn't last long and they divorced in 1936.  Later that year he married Grace Wilkins after she baked a pie for him!  Roy then formed a new group called The Pioneers Trio and when they appeared on  a radio broadcast, the announcer decided he liked "The Sons of the Pioneers" better since they all looked so young.  Then in 1935 he began appearing in minor film parts.  Three years later he auditioned to be the next big "singing cowboy" star.  In 1938 he debuted in "Under Western Stars." In 1941 he and Grace adopted a little girl, Cheryl Darlene, when they found they couldn't have one of their own.  Two years later they had one of their own, Linda Lou.  

An early photo of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

And, in 1945 Roy Jr. was born, but complications from the birth killed Grace.  During one of Roy's films he met a young woman by the name of Dale Evans, whom he married in 1947.  For 16 straight years, Roy was one of the top western actors in film.  I remember Roy the best when he made a move from film to TV on "The Roy Rogers Show."  On the show he was a cattle rancher who brought justice to the town where lived.  His wife, Dale Evans was also in the show.  His show was a hit from 1951-1957, while I was in elementary  and Jr. High School.  The other star of the show was his horse Trigger.  After '57 he began to fade into the sunset but that was OK with me, since girls and cars replaced Roy as my main center of interest in life.  Roy made his final ride into the sunset on July 6, 1998.  He brought me many childhood memories as well as a pretty neat western outfit.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Dale Evans and Roy Rogers

A younger Roy with Trigger.

Color film gave people a chance to see Roy and Trigger in full color.