Date of Birth

31 December 1920, Willcox, Arizona, USA

Date of Death

17 December 1999, Tucson, Arizona, USA (run over by car)

Birth Name

Elvie Rex Allen

Nickname

The Arizona Cowboy

The Voice of the West

Rex Allen started out as a singer in vaudeville, and sang on numerous radio shows before hooking up with a traveling rodeo show. He signed with Republic Pictures and became a popular singing cowboy, and was often paired with sidekick Slim Pickens. He starred in his own western TV series, "Frontier Doctor" (1958) and in the 1960s was the narrator on many nature documentaries for Walt Disney.

His horse was named Koko "The Miracle Horse of the Movies."

During WWII, he lived in New Jersey. He sang on radio station WTNJ in Trenton under the name "Cactus Rex". He went from there to the National Barn Dance in Chicago, and from there to Hollywood.

Cousin of actor Cactus Mack and Glenn Strange.

Had a heart attack and fell down behind his caretaker's car, which was parked in the driveway of his home, and which ran over him later. Apparently the car actually killed him.

He narrated more than 80 Walt Disney films.

He was the original voice of the "father" character in Walt Disney's "Carousel of Progress" attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1983.

Price:  £29.00