Allen, Rex

(Rex Elvie Allen, 1922.12.31-1999.12.17)  Singing movie cowboy.

Born in Wilcox

Died in Tucson

Rex Allen was the singing cowboy that replaced Roy Rogers at Republic Pictures.  In the title role for his first movie, The Arizona Cowboy (1950), he foiled a scheme to wreck an irrigation project and take farmer's land so that the villains could drill for the oil only they knew was there.

More than 20 pictures followed, most of which have Rex saving farmers, ranchers, orphans and other underdogs from scalawag railroads, meat packers, miners, escaped convicts and other miscreants.

You might have heard his voice in the many True Life Adventures produced by Walt Disney.  He narrated more than 80 Disney films.  Allen provided the original voice of the father in Disney's "Carousel of Progress" theme park attraction..

His oldest son, Rex Allen, Jr. (1947-    ), was also a country singer, and wrote one of the two official Arizona state songs.

The senior Allen met his demise in a bizarre auto accident.  He suffered a heart attack, falling behind his caretaker's parked car.  When the car backed up, it ran over him resulting in the injuries that killed him.

Allen was born in Wilcox and died in Tucson.

CD's and DVD's from amazon.com
The Last Of The Great Singing Cowboys - Rex Allen CD	Riding All Day/The Life of a Cowboy - Rex Allen & His Arizona Wranglers CD	The Singing Cowboys - Rex Allen, Rex Allen Jr. CD	Rex Allen stars in Colorado Sundown (1952) - DVD