DALE EVANS
Name: Dale Evans
Born: 31 October 1912 Uvalde, Texas
Died: 7 February 2001 Apple Valley, California
Dale Evans was the stage name of Frances Octavia Smith (October 31, 1912-February
7, 2001), a writer, movie star, and singer-songwriter. She was the third wife of
singing cowboy Roy Rogers.
Born Lucille Wood Smith in Uvalde, Texas, her name was changed in infancy to
Frances Octavia Smith. She had a tumultuous early life, eloping at age 14 with
her first husband Thomas F. Fox. She bore one son, Thomas F. Fox, Jr. when she
was 15 years old. Divorced in 1929 at 17, she married August Wayne Johns that
same year, a union that lasted until their divorce in 1933. She took the name
Dale Evans in the early 1930s to promote her singing career. She then married
her accompanist and arranger Robert Dale Butts in 1935.
After beginning her career singing at the radio station where she was employed
as a secretary, Evans had a productive career as a jazz, swing, and big band
singer that led to a screen test and contract with 20th Century Fox studios. She
gained exposure on radio as the featured singer for a time on the Edgar Bergen/Charlie
McCarthy show.
During her time at 20th Century Fox, the studio promoted her as the unmarried
supporter of her teenage "brother" Tommy (actually her son Tom Fox, Jr.). This
deception continued through her divorce from Butts in 1946, and her development
as a cowgirl co-star to Roy Rogers at Republic Studios.
Evans married Roy Rogers at the Flying L Ranch in Davis, Oklahoma on New Year's
Eve 1947. Rogers ended the deception regarding Tommy. Rogers and Evans were a
team on- and off-screen from 1946 until Rogers' death in 1998. Together they had
one child, Robin Elizabeth, who died of complications of Down's Syndrome shortly
before her second birthday. Her life inspired Evans to write her bestseller
Angel Unaware. Evans went on to write a number of religious and inspirational
books.
From 1951 to 1957, Dale Evans and her husband starred in the highly successful
television series The Roy Rogers Show, in which they continued their cowboy/cowgirl
roles, with her riding her trusty buckskin horse, Buttermilk. In addition to her
successful TV shows, over 30 movies, and 200 songs, Evans wrote the well known
songs Happy Trails. In later episodes of the TV show, she was outspoken in her
Christianity telling people that God would assist them with their troubles and
imploring adults and children to turn to God for help. This turned some people
off of the show.
In the 1970s, Evans recorded several solo albums of religious music. The 1980s
saw Rogers and Evans introducing their films weekly on The Nashville Network. In
the 1990s, Dale hosted her own religious television program.
Evans died of congestive heart failure on February 7, 2001.
Name: Dale Evans
Born: 31 October 1912 Uvalde, Texas
Died: 7 February 2001 Apple Valley, California
Dale Evans was the stage name of Frances Octavia Smith (October 31, 1912-February
7, 2001), a writer, movie star, and singer-songwriter. She was the third wife of
singing cowboy Roy Rogers.
Born Lucille Wood Smith in Uvalde, Texas, her name was changed in infancy to
Frances Octavia Smith. She had a tumultuous early life, eloping at age 14 with
her first husband Thomas F. Fox. She bore one son, Thomas F. Fox, Jr. when she
was 15 years old. Divorced in 1929 at 17, she married August Wayne Johns that
same year, a union that lasted until their divorce in 1933. She took the name
Dale Evans in the early 1930s to promote her singing career. She then married
her accompanist and arranger Robert Dale Butts in 1935.
After beginning her career singing at the radio station where she was employed
as a secretary, Evans had a productive career as a jazz, swing, and big band
singer that led to a screen test and contract with 20th Century Fox studios. She
gained exposure on radio as the featured singer for a time on the Edgar Bergen/Charlie
McCarthy show.
During her time at 20th Century Fox, the studio promoted her as the unmarried
supporter of her teenage "brother" Tommy (actually her son Tom Fox, Jr.). This
deception continued through her divorce from Butts in 1946, and her development
as a cowgirl co-star to Roy Rogers at Republic Studios.
Evans married Roy Rogers at the Flying L Ranch in Davis, Oklahoma on New Year's
Eve 1947. Rogers ended the deception regarding Tommy. Rogers and Evans were a
team on- and off-screen from 1946 until Rogers' death in 1998. Together they had
one child, Robin Elizabeth, who died of complications of Down's Syndrome shortly
before her second birthday. Her life inspired Evans to write her bestseller
Angel Unaware. Evans went on to write a number of religious and inspirational
books.
From 1951 to 1957, Dale Evans and her husband starred in the highly successful
television series The Roy Rogers Show, in which they continued their cowboy/cowgirl
roles, with her riding her trusty buckskin horse, Buttermilk. In addition to her
successful TV shows, over 30 movies, and 200 songs, Evans wrote the well known
songs Happy Trails. In later episodes of the TV show, she was outspoken in her
Christianity telling people that God would assist them with their troubles and
imploring adults and children to turn to God for help. This turned some people
off of the show.
In the 1970s, Evans recorded several solo albums of religious music. The 1980s
saw Rogers and Evans introducing their films weekly on The Nashville Network. In
the 1990s, Dale hosted her own religious television program.
Evans died of congestive heart failure on February 7, 2001.