Photo: Mother's Cookies, San Diego, CA. · Public domain · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Rex Allen
Person · male · United States · Willcox · born 1920 · died 1999 · recording since 1940
American film actor, singer and songwriter (1920–1999)
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Also known as 雷克斯·艾倫
Timeline
17 events▣ Album 12✦ Award 2◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1920s
1940s
· Debut release
Debut release: Riding All Day - The Life of a Cowboy
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Biography
English biography830 words · 7 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1374379418
Biography
Rex Elvie Allen Sr. (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999), known as "The Arizona Cowboy," was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contributions to the film industry, Allen received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1975, located at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.
Early life
Allen was born to Horace E. Allen and Luella Faith "Fay" Clark on a ranch in Mud Springs Canyon, forty miles from Willcox in Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, United States. As a boy he played guitar and sang at local functions with his fiddle-playing father, until high-school graduation when he toured the Southwest as a rodeo rider. He got his start in show business on the East Coast.
Early career
Allen began his singing career on radio station KOY in Phoenix, Arizona, after which he became better known as a performer on the National Barn Dance on WLS in Chicago.
When singing cowboys such as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were very much in vogue in American film, in 1949 Republic Pictures in Hollywood gave him a screen test and put him under contract. Beginning in 1950, Allen starred as himself in 19 of Hollywood's Western movies. One of the top-ten box office draws of the day, whose character was soon depicted in comic books, on screen Allen personified the clean cut, God-fearing American hero of the Wild West, who wore a white Stetson hat, loved his faithful horse Koko, and had a loyal buddy who shared his adventures. Allen's comic-relief sidekick in his first few pictures was first Buddy Ebsen and then character actor Slim Pickens.
Personal life
In 1940, Allen married Doris Windsor, with whom he had one child (Rexine Allen). His second marriage was to Bonnie Linder (m. 1946–1973), with whom he had four children. His third and final marriage was to Virginia Hudson, on November 25, 1992. The couple divorced in 1999.
His five children included Rex Allen Jr., who became a singer like his father.
Allen was a cousin of the Gunsmoke cast members Glenn Strange (who played bartender Sam Noonan) and Taylor "Cactus Mack" McPeters (who played "Pa" in the episode "Marry Me").
Later career
Allen wrote and recorded many songs, a number of which were featured in his own films. Late in coming to the industry, his film career was relatively short as the popularity of series westerns faded by the mid 1950s. But he starred in a number of B-Westerns during the 1950s.
As other cowboy stars made the transition to television, Allen tried too, cast as Dr. Bill Baxter for the half-hour weekly syndicated series Frontier Doctor. In 1961, he was one of five rotating hosts for NBC-TV's Five Star Jubilee.
Allen had a rich, pleasant voice, ideally suited for narration, and was able to find considerable work as a narrator in a variety of films, especially for Walt Disney Pictures wildlife films and television shows. The work earned him the nickname, "The Voice of the West." He narrated The Legend of Lobo, The Incredible Journey, Yellowstone Cubs, Run, Appaloosa, Run, and Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar. He also was the voice of the father on Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, first presented at the 1964 World's Fair and now at Walt Disney World. A 1993 renovation replaced Allen with Jean Shepherd as the voice of the father, but Allen was given a cameo as the grandfather in the final scene.
Allen provided the narration for the 1973 Hanna-Barbera animated film Charlotte's Web. He was also the voice behind Purina Dog Chow commercials for many years. After moving to Sonoita, Arizona, in the early 1990s, he was a viable voice talent almost until his death, recording hundreds of national advertising voice tracks at his favorite Tucson studio, Porter Sound. In his later years he also performed frequently with actor Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez. He wrote and sang the theme song for the early 1980s sitcom Best of the West.
Death
Allen died on December 17, 1999, in Tucson, Arizona. He had collapsed in his driveway after suffering a heart attack and was then accidentally run over by his caregiver. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at Railroad Park in Willcox.
Legacy
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Allen was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.
In 1983, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 1989, his life story was told in the book Rex Allen: My Life, Sunrise to Sunset – The Arizona Cowboy, written by Paula Simpson-Witt and Snuff Garrett.
The Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum and Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame in Willcox features Allen's collection of memorabilia, including photos, movie posters, cowboy outfits, records and musical instruments. His cremated ashes were scattered in Railroad Park, across the street from the museum, near a bronze statue of Allen.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 20 | 81.1th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 29 | 90.1th |
| Studio albums | 12 | 92.8th |
| Awards recorded | 4 | 96.3th |
| Timeline events | 17 | 92.4th |
| Recording span (years) | 59 | 97.3th |
| Genres | 2 | 74th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (29 release groups · 12 studio albums)
Albums · 12
Riding All Day - The Life of a Cowboy
1940 · studio album
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Tracklist · 26 tracks · 56:47
1Partners of the Saddle2:552She Buckaroo1:523Headin' for the Open Range1:484My Miss by the Swiss Chalet1:215My Cross Eyed Girl1:576Riding All Day2:147I Want to Be a Cowboy's Dream Girl1:108Mountain Home2:199The Girl I Left Behind Me1:5110Home on the Range3:0011The Covered Wagon1:5512Chiquita2:4913The Life of a Cowboy1:4614Going Back to My Texas Home1:3415Bad Brahma Bull2:2416Night Time in the West2:3817Hold on Little Doggie1:4518Ridin' Down the Canyon2:3319When the Campfire is Low on the Praire2:3220Yodelin' Crazy2:1121Cielito Lindo2:2922Strawberry Roan2:2223Memories of the Range2:3624Dreaming of the Western Plains2:2925Little Girl Dressed in Blue2:0026My Old Adobe Shack2:171956 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks
1The Trail of the Lonesome Pine2Nothin' to Do3The Last Roundup4The Last Frontier5Rocky Mountain Lullaby6Ole Faithful7Twilight on the Trail8The Railroad Corral9I'm a Young Cowboy (The Streets of Laredo)10At the Rainbow's End11Sky Boss12Too-Lee-Roll-Um1959 · studio album
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Tracklist · 14 tracks
1Cindy2Sweet Betsy From Pike3Sleep, Little Moses4The Cowboy's Dream5Alla En El Rancho Grande6Softly and Tenderly7Lonesome Valley8Hoosen Johnny9Curtains of Night10Rarin' to Go11Old Joe Clark12On Top of Old Smokey13Feeling Bad14Prayer of the Frontier DoctorRex Allen Sings Melodies of the Plains
1962 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks
A1Melody of the PlainesA2My Dear Old Arizona HomeA3I’ll Go Ridin’ Down That Old Texas TrailA4I Won’t Need My Six Gun in HeavenA5The Girl I Left Behing MeB1Dreaming of the Western PlainesB2Cowpuncher’s BluesB3Cowboy’s HeavenB4A Cowboy’s StoryB5Little Puncher1963 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 35:22
A1Don't Go Near the Indians2:59A2Johnny Travers3:16A3Tongue Tied Smith2:31A4Only the Hangman (Is Waiting for Me)2:33A5East Bound Train3:07A6My Mother Was a Lady4:04B1Barefoot Country Boy2:43B2Last Letter3:14B3Ten Years2:27B4Goodnight Mrs. Jones2:45B5Letter Edged in Black2:54B6Reflex Reaction2:491972 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 29:45
1My Confession2:052Love Gone Cold2:253Gotta Have My Baby Back3:414Down The Wrong Highway2:145Sure As Your Name's Kate2:206Sixteen Hundred Miles2:077I'll Keep On Lovin' You2:238Cold, Cold War2:289Lonesome Letter Blues2:3210You Don't Care What Happens To Me2:3011Faith Of A Child2:5212The Bell In The Steeple2:08Rex Allen Sings Boney Kneed Hairy Legged Cowboy Songs
1972 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks
A1Little Joe the WranglerA2Moonshine SteerA3The Fireman CowboyA4Braggin’ Drunk From WilcoxA5Fiddle MedleyB1Tyin’ Knots in the Devil’s TailB2Droop EarsB3Windy BillB4When the Work’s All Done This FallB5Streets of Laredo1986 · studio album
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Tracklist · 16 tracks
1Hawaiian Cowbly2Texas Tornado3Queen of the Rodeo4Teardrops In My Heart5Loaded Pistol6Arizona Waltz7Who Shot That Hole In My Sombrero8The Wind is A Woman9Cowpoke10Cattle Call11Chime Bells12Tennessee Tears13Song Of The Hills14Slap Her Down Again, Paw15Miranda Doakes16Lord Protect My Darlin'1995 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 31:00
1Can You Hear Those Pioneers2:302Tyin' Knots In The Devil's Tail2:483Yippi Cry Yi3:064Ride Cowboy Ride2:135Tumbling Tumbleweeds/Cool Water3:066Little Joe The Wrangler4:427Texas Plains2:448When The Work's All Done This Fall3:209Last Of The Silver Screen Cowboys3:2410Arizona3:07The Last of the Great Singing Cowboys
1999 · studio album
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Tracklist · 22 tracks · 49:24
1Arkansas Traveler (instrumental)2:022Out Where the West Winds Blow2:383Way Out West Is Calling1:574The Girl I Left Behind Me1:515Headin' for the Wide Open Range1:506Mexicali Rose3:567Riding Down to Mexico1:458My Dear Old Arizona Home1:489I'll Never Change2:2610A Cowboy's Story2:0011Gonna Marry Me a Cowboy1:4912Raggin' On (instrumental)2:0213Tyin' Knots in the Devil's Tail2:1814Bad Brahma Bull2:2415Little Puncher2:2516Dreamy Montana Moon2:2417Rocky Mountain Home2:2818Dude Ranch Polka1:5019A Human Coyote Stole My Girl2:1020Memories of the Range2:3621Riding on Across the Prairie1:5522I Won't Need My Six Gun in Heaven2:502005 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 33:27
1It's My Lazy Day2:592This Ain't the Same Old Range4:083Cowpoke2:334Sunset Trail3:065Blue Canadian Rockies2:446There's a Bridle Hanging on the Wall2:277Doggone Cowboy2:458Summer Night's Rain2:499There's Nobody Home on the Range Anymore2:4210Old Home Town3:5411Empty Saddles3:202012 · studio album
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Tracklist · 60 tracks · 2:39:37
1'Till The Well Goes Dry2:192Afraid2:493Hot Time in New Orleans Tonight2:304Ten More Miles To Go3:015Crying In The Chapel3:106Ballad of John Colter2:587Foggy River2:348Take It Back And Change It For A Boy2:569A Broken Down Merry Go Round2:4710Always You2:4811You Drifted2:3612I Thank The Lord2:2713Sparrow In The Treetop2:4014Yodelin' Crazy2:5515Wreck Of The John B2:3716Don't Turn Your Back On Me2:3717The Roving Kind2:4818The Last Carousel2:3819Wringle Wrangle2:0820Blue Dream2:2921Tagalong2:3122Tuck Me To Sleep In My Old 'Tucky Home2:2323I Couldn't Care Less2:1524Rack Up The Balls Boys3:0025Naggin'2:5626Lazy River2:2427Mr & Mississippi2:3428Lonely Little Robin2:4829Honolulu Boogie2:4130Too-Lee-Rollum2:3231Blue Light Waltz2:4532Westward Ho The Wagons2:2533Farther Along2:4534Jambalaya2:3935The Mystery Of His Way2:5536Little White Horse2:3737I Know The Reason Why2:4438Somewhere2:4939Angel To Joe2:5140He Played A Steel Guitar2:3241Flower of San Antone2:4242I'm Lonely My Darlin'2:4243Staying Young2:2744Money, Marbles and Chalk2:3045Softly And Terderly2:3946Bringing Home The Bacon2:4447If God Can Forgive You So Can I3:0948I Can Cry My Heart Out3:0949Drango2:4950I'm Learning to Live Without You2:2251Forever and Ever2:1152You Took My Name2:4553The Little Old Church in The Valley2:1354Lonesome Letter Blues2:4455Morgen2:5356Tomorrow's Just Another Day To Cry2:0857Ragtime Melody2:3158To Be Alone2:4459Hawaiian Cowboy2:2360Light In The Window2:59
Single · 12
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Feudin' and Fightin' / Take it Back and Change it for a BoySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksAFeudin' and Fightin' BTake it Back and Change it for a Boy | June 1947 | ||
| 1947 | Miranda Doaks / Chime BellsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:22AMiranda Doak2:52 BChime Bells2:30 | 7 December 1947 | ||
| 1949 | Tennessee Tears / Song of the HillsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:33ATennessee Tears2:43 BSong of the Hills2:50 | 1949 | ||
| 1949 | Blues in my Mind / Little Brown ShoesSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:25ABlues in my Mind2:40 BLittle Brown Shoes2:45 | July 1949 | ||
| 1959 | Swamp Fox / Bronco BoogieSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks1Swamp Fox 2Bronco Boogie | 1959 | ||
| 1962 | Don't Go Near The Indians / Touched So DeeplySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:09ADon't Go Near the Indians2:59 BTouched So Deeply2:10 | 1962 | ||
| — | Tell Me Little Darlin' / Arizona WaltzSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksATell Me Little Darlin' BArizona Waltz | — | ||
| — | As Long As the River Flows On / The Waltz of the RosesSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksAAs Long As the River Flows On BThe Waltz of the Roses | — | ||
| — | Foggy River / A Broken Promise Means a Broken HeartSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksAFoggy River BA Broken Promise Means a Broken Heart | — | ||
| — | Why, Daddy? / Where Did My Snowman Go?Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 4:29AWhy, Daddy?2:25 BWhere Did My Snowman Go?2:04 | — | ||
| — | Hot Time in New Orleans Tonight / The Last CarouseSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:00AHot Time in New Orleans Tonight2:25 BThe Last Carouse2:35 | — | ||
| — | Crying In The Chapel / I Thank The LordSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksACrying In The Chapel BI Thank The Lord | — |
Album · 5
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Lonesome Letter BluesSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks1Lonesome Letter Blues 2Bell in the Steeple 3I’ll Keep On Loving You 4Down the Wrong Highway 5Gotta Have My Baby Back 6Love Gone Cold 7Sure as Your Name’s Kate 8Sixteen Hundred Miles 9Faith of a Child 10Cold, Cold War 11You Don’t Care What Happens to Me 12My Confession | Compilation | 27 February 1996 | |
| 1999 | The Last of the Great Singing CowboysSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 22 tracks · 49:241Arkansas Traveler (instrumental)2:02 2Out Where the West Winds Blow2:38 3Way Out West Is Calling1:57 4The Girl I Left Behind Me1:51 5Headin' for the Wide Open Range1:50 6Mexicali Rose3:56 7Riding Down to Mexico1:45 8My Dear Old Arizona Home1:48 9I'll Never Change2:26 10A Cowboy's Story2:00 11Gonna Marry Me a Cowboy1:49 12Raggin' On (instrumental)2:02 13Tyin' Knots in the Devil's Tail2:18 14Bad Brahma Bull2:24 15Little Puncher2:25 16Dreamy Montana Moon2:24 17Rocky Mountain Home2:28 18Dude Ranch Polka1:50 19A Human Coyote Stole My Girl2:10 20Memories of the Range2:36 21Riding on Across the Prairie1:55 22I Won't Need My Six Gun in Heaven2:50 | Compilation | 1999 | |
| 1999 | Keep Swingin'Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks · 1:17:351Take The 'A' Train7:05 2Pleasingly Plump6:23 3Back Bay Shuffle5:19 4Why5:30 5Opus 16:41 6When You're Smiling3:51 7Fine And Mellow6:08 8What A Little Moonlight Can Do3:31 9Blues for Mannie7:55 10Stompin' At The Savoy6:06 11Duke Ellington Medley9:05 12Flying Home10:01 | Live | 1999 | |
| 2005 | The Arizona CowboySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 46:291Arizona Cowboy2:24 2Little Joe the Wrangler4:43 3Windy Bill2:12 4Streets of Laredo3:56 5Moonshine Steer2:32 6Just Call Me Lonesome2:51 7Droop Ears4:33 8Tyin' Knots in the Devil's Tail2:48 9Catfish John3:27 10Reflex Reactin3:02 11When the Work's All Done This Fall3:20 12Fireman Cowboy3:52 13Fiddle Medley2:28 14Braggin' Drunk from Willcox4:21 | Compilation | 16 August 2005 | |
| 2012 | Voice Of The WestSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks1Tyin' Knots In The Devil's Tail 2Windy Bill 3Little Joe The Wrangler 4When The Work's All Done This Fall 5Droop Ears 6Streets Of Laredo 7The Fireman Cowboy 8Braggin' Drunk From Wilcox 9Fiddle Medley 10Gone Girl 11Catfish John 12You Never Did Give Up On Me 13Just Call Me Lonesome 14Today I Started Loving You Again 15Reflex Reaction 16Moonshine Steer | Compilation | 2012 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Rex Allen head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 20 | 81.1th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 29 | 90.1th |
| Studio albums | 12 | 92.8th |
| Awards recorded | 4 | 96.3th |
| Timeline events | 17 | 92.4th |
| Recording span (years) | 59 | 97.3th |
| Genres | 2 | 74th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | won | |
| 1975 | star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | won | |
| 1996 | Disney Legends | won | |
| 1996 | Disney Legends | won |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rex_Allen_and_Koko_1952.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4782b84f-201b-4d7a-b142-04a8bf6bdd3bdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4782b84f-201b-4d7a-b142-04a8bf6bdd3bcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1374215genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1374215seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Allenbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Allen
Why this artist is in the database
- List of country music performers
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Mother's Cookies, San Diego, CA. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q1374215 · MusicBrainz: 4782b84f-201b-4d7a-b142-04a8bf6bdd3b
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