2001
Search results
Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and other B-movie cowboys.
Smiley Burnette was a versatile performer who worked with Gene Autry and other cowboy stars in over 80 Westerns. He wrote and sang over 300 songs, and was known for his white horse with a black circle around one eye.
- January 1, 1
- Summum, Illinois, USA
- January 1, 1
- Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA
Smiley Burnette. Actor: Galloping Thunder. Smiley worked on a local radio station and in Vaudeville after high school. Always interested in music, he was friends with Gene Autry and worked with him on the radio show "The National Barn Dance". When Westerns became a big draw with sound, the studios were always on the lookout for singing cowboys.
- March 18, 1911
- February 16, 1967
Smiley Burnette was a native of Illinois. In fact, he had never been west of the Illinois borders until he and Gene Autry came out to California to find out what Movies might have to offer two musicians/songwriters/singers. Smiley's talents were extremely diverse.
Jun 25, 2015 · Smiley Burnette sings “Five Man Band” from Gene Autry’s 1936 Republic Pictures movie “The Old Corral.”© Autry Qualified Interest Trust and The Autry Foundati...
- 1 min
- 18.9K
- Gene Autry
Sep 3, 2015 · Gene Autry’s sidekick Smiley Burnette sings his humorous song, “The New Jassackaphone,” about an unusual instrument from his 1938 Republic Pictures movie “Th...
- 57 sec
- 7.9K
- Gene Autry
Smiley Burnette was a country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and TV, known for playing sidekick to Gene Autry. He also wrote and played many musical instruments, and appeared in over 100 movies and TV shows.
