...But their lives were more than making western films and being heroes to thousands of kids!
Both of them were married before they met each other. Dale (whose real name was Francis Octavia Smith) ran away with a boy when she was very young and together they had son whose name is Tom Fox.
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| Roy and Arline |
Before his name was changed to Roy Rogers (it was Leonard Slye), he was married to a woman named Arline and together they had Cheryl, Linda Lou, and Dusty, but Arline died a week after Dusty (Roy Jr)'s birth.
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| Cheryl, Roy, and Linda |
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| Roy was left with 3 young kids after Arline died |
Roy and Dale first met when they filmed the "Cowboy and the Senorita" together. One night, as they were waiting to do a performance at a rodeo, Roy asked Dale if she had anything planned for the upcoming New Year's Eve. When she said she had no plans, he asked her if she would like to get married that evening ... so they did!
The only child they ever had together was Robin; however, she had Down Syndrome and died before turning 2. Dale wrote about Robin's short life in the book "Angel Unaware".
In "Angel Unaware", Dale expressed how her faith in God was the only thing that got her through the tragedy. Many people know that Roy and Dale were very strong Christians, but I, for one, didn't realize that neither of them cared anything about any religion before they were married ... and for some time afterward.
Dale had been saved as a child, but deserted her beliefs as she became an adult. She began going to church after she got married because Roy's children were having a hard time accepting her as their mother.
Dale's son, Tom, kept inviting her to church - hoping that would help with family issues. Dale finally gave in and went to church with Tom and his wife.
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| Roy and his children with their new step-mother |
After a while, Dale also gave in to God. She surrendered every part of her life to Him.
Roy was not enthused.
Dale kept inviting him to go to church with her and the children, but he refused. One night, Roy was having a big party at the house and he and Dale had one of their biggest fights ever over that party - I think it was something about the drinks at the party. Anyway, the next Sunday morning Dale didn't ask Roy to go to church with her because he had told her to quit nagging him. But he told her he was going with her. When the invitation was given after the service, Roy leaned over to Dale and said "Momma, I'm goin' down there"!
After Robin's death, Roy and Dale began adding to their family through adoption. They adopted Sandy and Dodie on the same trip - they hadn't even thought about adoption before the day they saw Sandy and Dodie!
Roy and Dale and Dodie (short for Little Mary Doe)
Dodie was part Indian and Sandy had some developmental delay and facial malformations. Later, they adopted Debbie from Korea, and they tried to adopted Marion Fleming (Mimi) from Ireland but because of legal issues they were only able to take her as a ward.
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| Cheryl, Linda, Marion, Dusty, Sandy, Dodie, Debbie, Dale, and Roy Rogers |
This video is the Roy Rogers family on the Perry Como Show. I have no idea who Perry Como is but this shows all the kidshe as well as Roy and Dale singing their signature song, "Happy Trails", and even closes with Trigger dancing :)
Robin, however, was not the last child Roy and Dale would lose.
Debbie went on a little trip to Mexico with the church group to deliver gifts to kids at an orphanage. The church bus wrecked and Debbie was killed - this was very shortly after her 12th birthday. Dale had to go to the hospital to tell Roy, who was recovering from a neck operation.
Sandy went into the military before finishing high school. He was not physically fit to be deployed to Vietnam so he was sent instead to Germany. A number of other soldiers got him to drink a huge amount and variety of liquor one night. He passed out so his buddy's took him to his bed where they figured he'd sleep it off ... but he never woke up.
In memory of Debbie and Sandy, Dale wrote "Dearest Debbie" and "Salute to Sandy".
Roy and Dale bought a ranch in the desert where they filmed most of the shows for the Roy Roger's Television Show series which always ended with their theme song "Happy Trails" written by Dale.
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Dark Command was a show starring John Wayne and in which Roy also played a part. He was very young in this film and played a character very different than his normal cowboy persona.
| John Wayne, Claire Trevor, and Roy Rogers |
The first film in which Roy starred was Under Western Stars.
Roy had several sidekicks throughout his career.
Roy Rogers and Smiley Burnette
Roy and Gabby Hayes
Roy and Pat Brady (and the never-faithful Nellybelle!)
And, of course, Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers!
There were also a few famous, furry partners! Such as "the wonder dog" Bullet:
....and the name most closely associated with Roy Roger's: TRIGGER!!!! The Smartest Horse in Pictures!
Dale's horse's name was Buttermilk
These are a few videos of songs about Trigger :)
My Pal Trigger was a RR movie all about Trigger!
Two little-known facts about Roy Rogers: Besides Tigger, he also liked to ride motor boats and motorcycles!
He also liked to hunt ... went a few safaris in Africa and killed one of the largest Kodiak bears ever seen in Alaska!
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The following video is the show "This is your Life" featuring Roy Rogers! It's really interesting and tells a lot about this life and shows many of the most important people in his life!
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This famous couple had the privilege of meeting a few American presidents.
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| Roy, Dale, and President Dwight and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower |
Roy and Dale were invited to the Eisenhower White House for a Roy Roger's themed birthday party for one of Eisenhower's grandsons!
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| President Reagan, Roy Rogers, and First Lady Nancy Reagan |
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Roy Rogers and Dale Evans sing "The Bible Tells Me So"
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Cowboy and the Senorita King of the Cowboys Lights of Old Santa Fe
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This is a song Roy "Dusty" Rogers Jr. wrote and sung about his Dad on what would have been Roy's 100th birthday on November 5, 2011.
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This is a song Roy "Dusty" Rogers Jr. wrote and sung about his Dad on what would have been Roy's 100th birthday on November 5, 2011.
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