Page 18 Grass & Grain, April 3, 2007 HeY Neighbor for The Loue Of Horses t:S.11 'fran+< J. t3ud;man Last Silver Screen Cowboy Singer Knows Horses Johnny Western is a real my 4-H project, and with the The Pioneers," Western re­ singing cowboy. money I made from them, I called. Many movie and TY · bought my first horse. If I Upon high school gradu­ cowboys hl!ve a difijglilt was going to be a cowboy, I ation, Western began singing time riding horses; and iliey had to have a horse," West­ on television. "I was also · sure don't have any interest ern contended. writing songs and record­ in knowing anything about Before long, he owned ing them as well as some o:r owning a horse. five ·horses. "My main horse cover tunes that were hot at That is definitely not the was a· buckskin gelding that time," Western ex­ case with Johnny Western. named Buckshot," Western plained. While many are familiar continued. ''He 1 was half By 1954, Western had his with Western as a disc jQ!lk­ Quarter Horse and half Ara' own TV show, Circle 6 ey on KFDI radio ofWichha bian, so he had a beautiful Ranch Time. 'Td ride Buck­ and for his singing appeaf,' head and was really well­ shot in to open every show, ances throughout the coun­ muscled too." where I was the singing try, few realize his ties to During one summer, cowhoy, interviewed guests and knowledge of horses Western had the opportunity and introduced the western and the worldng cowboy. to work as a cowboy for the movie," WeStern comment­ "I saw a Gene Autry famed. King Merritt Ranch, ed. movie, 'Guns and Guitars,' west of Cheyenne, Wyo. Viewer appreciation of when I was five years old in "That was a chance of a life­ the TV show brought re­ 1939. From then on, I want­ time. It was about as close to quests for Western and ed to be a singing cowboy the real west as one can get. Bu.ckshot to appear in pa­ like Gene, 11 remembered It's over 50 miles between rades and other event$ over a Western, who grew up in some of the towns there," wide area. "Buckshot wasn't Minnesota. Western said. "t became life­ a trick horse, but about His first guitar was a 12th long friends with the Merritt everybody knew him from birthday present, and West­ family." my TV show. ern put it right to use accom­ Western's radio job soon "He was a trained. rope panying himself singing expanded to daily appear­ horse when I got him. I calf­ cowboy songs. ances as well as being a roped on him arid won some Popularity entertaining country music disc jockey. of the local jackpots," West­ for his 4-H club and at com­ He was · recognized by ern related. munity events soon had Billboard magazine as the Well-known singing Western in deman!l over a youngest DJ and singer on movie cowboys including wide area and got him his American radio. ;.When I Roy Rogers, Rex Allen and first job singing on the was 16, I started pl~ying Tex. Ritter were guests on radio. on rodeo tours with Western's TV show. "I also "! had Hampshire hogs as my idols, The Sons Of got to open sc.me of their --.' shows and play with them· when they were in the area," he added. The silver screen was calling Western, so he loaded up Buckshot, his Bohlen silver-mounted pa­ rade saddle, along with his guitar, and headed to Holly­ wood to pursue his real goal to be a movie cowboy. "I wanted to have my horse with me, in case I got my own TV western," he in­ sisted. A personal series didn't materialize, so Western sold Buckshot. However, he started playing rhythm gui­ tar and singing backup for Gene Autry's traveling show. "Only Gene and Annie Oak­ ley (Gale Davis) rode hors­ es, while we played from a stage. Gene had always been my hero, so I was happy," · Western said. After two years, Autry re­ tired, bot Western soon had several movie and television acting jobs. "I was._ cast in over 37 · feature films and episodes of television west­ erns," he calculated. Attired in his traditional c;owboy outfit, similar to the one In 1957, the Have Gun, Have Gun, Will Travel, Will Travel TV series went worn t>y Paladin in the TV series into production, and Western silver screen cowboy singer Johnny West!'!rn, Wichita, was in.one episode. "While I shows the Bohlen silver-mounted saddle ridden in was working on the show movies, TV shows, p~rades, rodeos and other .attrac­ with Richard Boone, who tions. was the main star, Paladin, I composed 'The Ballad of for six years and continued more regular television Paladin,' which was adopted to do special sessions with westerns and many cowboy as the show's closing Johnny until he passed movies at that lime," West­ theme," reminisced Western, away," Western confirmed. em noted. · who was signed to the CBS A monthly column, "The Among those he wrote network's Columbia Rec­ Filmland Horsemen," was about were James Amess, ords. written by Johnny Western Richard Boone, Chuck Con­ He was soon either acting for Western Horseman ners, Ben Johnson, Steve or singing on the music magazine for seven years McQueen, Hugh O'Brian, tracks of several series. "I from 1958 through 1964. Dale Robertson and Clint was asked by Johnny Cash "The publisher Dick Walker. "They were all my to join his band· as a guitarist Spencer asked me to profile personal friends and good and singer. I was with him TV and movie cowboys, be­ horsemen," Western empha­ on tour and recording then cause there were a dozen or sized. Busy with personal en­ head trainer. "Trigger, Little Cartwright on Bonanza,'' gagements, Western enter­ Trigger and Trigger Jr. were Western asserted. tained in Las Vegas, Lake all palomino stallions, but Memories of cowboys, Tahoe and throughout the each differently . marked. horses, movies, singers,. country. "I got to sing for the Only Trigger Jr. .was used recording sessions, hit Ben Johnson·. Memorial for breeding," Western clari­ records, songs he's written Steer Roping in Pawhuska,. fied. and shows he's played are Okla., and played the I;>oubles were used for seemingly endless when Cheyenne Frontier Days both Champ and Trigger in Western talks of his life. Rodeo for 17 years," stated some movie scenes, howev­ Recipient of many honors Western, who.l!Qmitted that er Rex Allen's·KoK<>was so including induction into the one. of his .real cowboy he-. uniquely colored that he did Kansas Cowboy Hall of roes was marly-time world not have a double. "His Fame, the Western Music champion calf .!'()per Toots ciJocolate color and snow Hall of Fame, the Country , Mansfield. white · mane and tail were Music Disc Jockey Hall of 'Til never forget the first ~me-of-a-kind. Rex even Fame and the Old Time time .I saw Toots. He was a . fried to raise colts out of Country Music Hall of true cowboy, ta.ll, lanky and KoKo to get that color, but Fame, Western has most re­ wearing those<· shades. He none turned out like their cently had the Johnny West­ was the coolest thing I'd ever dad," Western analyzed. em T!Jeatre named in his seen in my life," Western · Dale Evans was going to honor at the Wild West credited. ride KoKo before Rex Allen World theme park opening Most TV aridmovie cow­ bought him, according to this spring north of boys use com.Pany horses, Western. "But the stallion, Wichita. bnt some cowboys did have also trained by Glenn Ra,n­ While his show outfits their own -horses. "I even dall, was too much horse for ·are -numerous, Western is bad. to use company horses Dale, so she got the gelding often attired in' black cow­ in my TV anti movie appear­ Buttermiik," Western re- boy clothing, similar to that ances," Western admitted. marked. · worn by Paladin, and with­ "Of course, Gene Autry· Jim Amess generally out fail, Western will per­ bad his own .horses. There rode a buckskin in his role as form his Have Gun, Will were actually three Champs, Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke. Travel song in performanc­ and they were somewhat dif­ "There were at least three es. He's a regular at the ferent sorrel color with vari­ different horses, with v3ri­ Prairie Rose chuckwagon ous markings, but the audi­ ous markings, but the view­ suppers near Wichita, open­ ence didn't reaiize ·-that," ers didn't notice. The horses ing headliner shows and in Western descnbed. Jim rode had to be big, be­ appearances across the Autry did some of his cause he was 6 feet, 7 inches . country. Don't miss an op­ own horse training, and re­ taJI. One of those he rode portunity to see the last sil­ ceived assistance from train­ was the same buckskin that ver screen singing cowboy; ers Johnny ·Agee and Jay Lome Green used as Ben he's a real one. Berry. Only one of the · Champs was a trick horse, and only one was a stallion. "Gene was also a rodeo : contractor with Harry Knight and kept the live­ stock on his Flying A Ranch at GeneAutry,.Okla.," West­ em confirmed. Roy Rogers had three Triggers, all with Tennessee Walking Horse lineage, and also did much of the train­ ing, with Glenn Randall as Last Silver Screen Cowboy Singer Knows Horses Johnny Western is a real singing cowboy.