Gene Autry's final days
PUSSSYKATT
Singing cowboy Gene Autry went to his grave haunted by a secret heartache -- he
longed for children, but never had any.
"Gene loved kids," a close family friend told The ENQUIRER.
"When he died at age 91, it was with the sincere regret that he didn't have any
children to pass on his vast financial empire.
"Several years ago he told me, 'I've had a wonderful life. But I really missed
out on something very important -- having children.
" 'If I could do anything over, I'd change that -- even if I had to adopt.
" 'I admired my friend Roy Rogers and his wife Dale Evans for their large
brood. It made their lives much richer. I truly regret not having that for
myself.' "
Even as the end drew near, Autry focused on children.
"Nearly half of Gene's $350 million estate will go to his Gene Autry Western
Heritage Museum in Los Angeles," said the family friend.
"He'd also planned a fund-raising gala at the museum to raise $1 million for
scholarships for underprivileged children. The October 16 gala will go on as
scheduled -- as a tribute to him."
Autry married twice. His first wife Ina Mae died in 1980 after 48 years of
marriage.
He wed his second wife Jacqueline Elam, who's more than 30 years younger, a
year later.
The beloved singing cowboy was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer three years ago.
He fought it valiantly, but his health began going downhill after his longtime
friend Roy Rogers died.
THE LEGEND with his second wife, Jackie. "Gene was the most exciting man I
ever met," she said.
"After Roy's death, it was like Gene was giving up," said a longtime friend.
"He told me, 'I'm so shocked! I didn't know Roy was that ill. His death is a
terrible loss for me.
" 'It seems I'm outliving everyone. Ina Mae died nearly 20 years ago. My close
friend Pat Buttram passed away a few years back and now Roy is gone too. It's
not much fun to outlive your friends and family.' "
"He spent his last days at home with his wife Jackie.
"Gene would lie in bed and listen to his old records. He also watched baseball
on TV.
"About a month ago Gene caught a cold. We all thought he'd beat it, but he just
kept getting weaker and weaker.
"He died in his sleep about 7:30 a.m. on Friday, October 2. Jackie was with
him."
During his career Autry produced 635 records, including the classic western
"Back in the Saddle Again" and the Christmas tune "Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer."
A popular radio performer in the 1930s, he was a top star at the movie box
office from 1937 to 1943.
He starred on TV's "Gene Autry Show" from 1950 to 1956, then built a booming
business empire with four radio stations, the Gene Autry Hotel in Palm Springs,
the California Angels baseball team and several other properties.
"About a month before he died, Gene went to an Angels game. He dropped by the
dugout and had a great time," said his longtime friend.
A heartbroken Jackie told a family friend: "The only thing missing from Gene's
life was children.
"When he talked about not having a son and heir, Gene would get teary-eyed.
Then he'd laugh and add, 'Heck, I'd have settled for a couple of daughters
too!' "
And she told another pal: "Gene may have been much older than me, but he was
the most exciting man I ever met. I'll miss him terribly."
-- LARRY HALEY, NEAL HITCHENS and TONY BRENNA
Travis Hardison
pusss...@aol.com (PUSSSYKATT) wrote:
> NATIONAL ENQUIRER....
>
> Singing cowboy Gene Autry went to his grave haunted by a secret
heartache -- he
> longed for children, but never had any.
> Even as the end drew near, Autry focused on children.
>
> "Nearly half of Gene's $350 million estate will go to his Gene Autry Western
> Heritage Museum in Los Angeles," said the family friend.
>
> "He'd also planned a fund-raising gala at the museum to raise $1 million for
> scholarships for underprivileged children. The October 16 gala will go on as
> scheduled -- as a tribute to him."
So half of 350 MILLION goes to a museum with his name on it, but the
underprivileged kids have to have a gala to raise a mil - and it's *still*
a tribute to Gene? Gee, Gene, even in death you're still a Republican....
Any word on where the rest of this money went, not that any was coming
my way or anything?
Jeg7777
>
> NATIONAL ENQUIRER....
>
> Singing cowboy Gene Autry went to his grave haunted by a secret heartache -- he
> longed for children, but never had any.
>
>
> "When he died at age 91, it was with the sincere regret that he didn't have any
> children to pass on his vast financial empire.
>
> "Several years ago he told me, 'I've had a wonderful life. But I really missed
> out on something very important -- having children.
>
> " 'If I could do anything over, I'd change that -- even if I had to adopt.
> Autry married twice. His first wife Ina Mae died in 1980 after 48 years of
> marriage.
>
> He wed his second wife Jacqueline Elam, who's more than 30 years younger, a
> year later.
How can someone be married for 64 years of his life, to 2 different
women, and not have any kids--even by accident? Didn't he ever have sex
with them?
--
Joe
************************************************************************
"The 'fireman' is very magical! If you rub his helmet he spits in your
eye!" - Eric Cartman
"Oooh, they have the Internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson
Did you hear about the dyslexic devil-worshipper?
He sold his soul to Santa.
************************************************************************
Hane
Jeg7777 wrote in message <36352A...@erols.com>...
>> " 'If I could do anything over, I'd change that -- even if I had to adopt.
>(snip)
>> Autry married twice. His first wife Ina Mae died in 1980 after 48 years of
>> marriage.
>>
>> He wed his second wife Jacqueline Elam, who's more than 30 years younger, a
>> year later.
>
>How can someone be married for 64 years of his life, to 2 different
>women, and not have any kids--even by accident? Didn't he ever have sex
>with them?
We don't know there were no conceptions. Just that there were no children.
Hane
Mal Licious
Then again a lot of those old guys had a strict sense of morality. What I'm getting
at is he may, if not sterile, in fact, have a few bastards whose existence he
doesn't want to admit to publicly. That would account for the museum bequest. A
lot of these old guys provided for their former mistresses, girlfriends, toadies,
n'er-do-well-children, and bastards by establishing sinecures for them in
foundations and museums they set up before and after they passed away.
Mal Licious