Best sellers included "The Lonesome Road," "Riding Around in the Rain," and "Ramona." In the next decade with Victor, Austin sold over 80 million records – a total unmatched by a single artist for 40 years. Nathaniel Shilkret, in his autobiography, describes the events leading to the recording. In 1925, Austin recorded his popular song "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" for the Victor Talking Machine Company in a duet with Aileen Stanley. He stopped in Minden, Louisiana, and performed there in a popular tent show on the grounds of the local Coca-Cola plant owned by the Hunter family. In the 1940s, Austin and his singers toured the country in a 14-truck caravan with its own power plant and cook house. Then finally in 1955 became Elvis Presley's Manager From here be began book, promote and manage Nashville acts like Minnie Pearl, Eddy Arnold, Tommy Sands and Hank Snow. A former carnival worker and sideshow talker, he gradually worked his way into the music business when he began to promote Gene Austin in 1938. Austin worked briefly in a club owned by Lou Clayton, who later was a part of the famous vaudeville team Clayton, Jackson and Durante.Ĭolonel Tom Parker (1909-1997). He started writing songs and formed a vaudeville act with Roy Bergere, with whom he wrote "How Come You Do Me Like You Do." The act ended when Bergere married. Soon, however, he was playing piano and singing in local taverns. On returning to the United States in 1919, Austin settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he intended to study dentistry. Thereafter, he served in France in World War I. His familiarity with horses from helping his stepfather in his blacksmithing business also prompted the Army to assign Austin to the cavalry and send him to Mexico with General John Pershing's Pancho Villa expedition, for which he was awarded the Mexican Service Medal. He was first stationed in New Orleans, where he played the piano at night in the city's notorious vice district. Army at the age of 17 in hopes of being dispatched to Europe to fight in World War I. The audience response was overwhelming, and the vaudeville company immediately offered him a billed spot on their ticket.Īustin joined the U.S. On a dare from his friends, Austin took the stage and sang for the first time since singing as a Southern Baptist choir boy. He ran away from home at 15 and attended a vaudeville act in Houston, Texas, where the audience was allowed to come to the stage and sing. In Minden, he learned to play piano and guitar. Austin grew up in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, located east of Shreveport. He took the name "Gene Austin" from his stepfather, Jim Austin, a blacksmith. His 1920s compositions "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" and "The Lonesome Road" became pop and jazz standards.Īustin was born as Lemeul Eugene Lucas in Gainesville, Texas (north of Dallas), to Nova Lucas (died 1943) and the former Serena Belle Harrell (died 1956). Gene Austin (J– January 24, 1972) was an American singer and songwriter, one of the first "crooners".
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