Tex Ritter

b. Woodward Maurice Ritter, 12 January 1905, Murvaul, Texas, USA, d. 2 January 1974. While studying political science at the University of Texas and during a later spell at law school, Ritter developed interests in the folklore and music of the southwestern states. He began singing folk songs and was soon a popular radio entertainer. He also appeared in concert and other stage performances, including a Broadway show in 1930. In the mid-'30s he went to Hollywood, where he became one of the most popular singing cowboys in films, simultaneously making numerous recordings. Amongst his films were Sing Cowboy Sing (1937), Song Over The Buckaroo (1939), Rainbow Over The Range (1940), Deep In The Heart Of Texas (1942) and Frontier Bullets (1945). By the late '40s the type of film in which Ritter appeared had had its day, and he subsequently toured extensively with his own stage show and also sang at the GRAND OLE OPRY. He continued to make records and in 1952 he had his biggest hit with the song High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me), which he sang in the film High Noon. In the mid-'50s and early '60s he made a handful of film appearances, mostly cameo roles. In the late '60s Ritter returned to his early interest in politics and tried unsuccessfully to gain nomination for the US Senate. The last years of Ritter's life were spent in Nashville, as an elder statesman of the country music industry.