Gene Austin

Lemeul Eugene Lucas (June 24, 1900 – January 24, 1972), better known by his stage name Gene Austin, was an American singer and songwriter, one of the early "crooners". His recording of "My Blue Heaven" sold over 5 million copies and was for a while the largest selling record of all time.^[1] His 1920s compositions "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" and "The Lonesome Road" became pop and jazz standards.^[2]

Early life

Austin was born as Lemeul Eugene Lucas in Gainesville, Texas (north of Dallas), to Nova Lucas and the former Serena Belle Harrell.^[3] He took the name Gene Austin from his stepfather Jim Austin, a blacksmith.^[2] Austin grew up in Minden, Louisiana. In Minden, he learned to play piano and guitar.^[1] He ran away from home at 15.^[1] He attended a vaudeville act in Houston, Texas, where the audience was allowed to come to the stage and sing. On a dare from his friends, Austin took the stage and sang for the first time since singing as a Southern Baptist choir boy. The audience response was overwhelming, and the vaudeville company immediately offered him a billed spot on its ticket.^[3]

Austin joined the U.S. Army at the age of 15 in hopes of being dispatched to Europe to fight in World War I.^[2] He was stationed in New Orleans, where he played the piano at night in the city's notorious vice district.^[1] His familiarity with horses from helping his stepfather in his blacksmithing business prompted the Army to assign Austin to the cavalry and send him to Mexico with Major General John J. Pershing's Pancho Villa Expedition, for which he was awarded the Mexican Service Medal. He later served in France in World War I.^[2]

On returning to the United States in 1919, Austin settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he briefly studied dentistry and law.

Gene Austin was an influential early crooner whose records in their day enjoyed record sales and the highest circulation. He made a substantial number of influential recordings, including a string of best-sellers.

By 1924, Austin was in New York's Tin Pan Alley. His first recording surreptitiously was providing the vocals for the Tennessee guitarist George Reneau, whose own voice did not record well.^[1]

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. Nathaniel Shilkret, in his autobiography, describes the events leading to the recording.^[4] He followed it that year with hits, including "Yearning (Just for You)" and "Yes Sir, That's My Baby.^[5] In the next decade with Victor, Austin sold over 80 million records.^[5]

His 1926 "

Austin formed a trio with bassist Johnny Candido and guitarist Otto Heimel. They called themselves Gene Austin and his Candy and Coco.^[3] They had a radio series from 1932 to 1934.^[9]

Colonel Tom Parker, who later became Elvis Presley's manager, gradually worked his way into the music business when he began to promote Gene Austin in 1938.^[3][10]

In the 1940s, Austin and his singers toured the U.S. in a 14-truck caravan with its own power plant and cook house. 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.^[11]

Style

With the advent of

Offered to work in Hollywood at the height of his career as the "Voice of the Southland", Austin appeared in several films, including Belle of the Nineties, Klondike Annie, Sadie McKee^[12] – all 1934 releases, Songs and Saddles (1938), and My Little Chickadee (1940) at the request of his friend Mae West.^[1]

TV drama

In 1956, CBS made a television drama about Austin's life.^{[citation needed]}

Honors

In 1978, Austin's 1928 Victor recording of "My Blue Heaven" (Victor 20964A), was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[13] In 2005, his 1926 Victor recording of "Bye Bye Blackbird" (Victor 20044) was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as well.^[13]

Personal life

Austin married his first wife, Kathryn Arnold, a dancer, in 1924 and divorced her in 1929. They had a child, Ann, born in 1928. Austin married his second wife, Agnes Antelline, in 1933, and their daughter Charlotte was born that same year. He and Agnes divorced in 1940. Austin then married actress Doris Sherrell in 1940, and divorced her in 1946. He married wife number four, LouCeil Hudson, a singer, in 1949, and the marriage lasted until 1966. Austin married Gigi Theodorea in 1967, his fifth and final marriage.

Country music singer Tommy Overstreet, who had his biggest hits in the 1970s, is Austin's third cousin.^[14][15]

Austin retired to Palm Springs, California in the late 1950s and was active in civic boards there until 1970. Income from his record sales allowed him to live comfortably the rest of his life.

In 1962, he campaigned unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor of Nevada.^[3][2]

He died in Palm Springs of lung cancer and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.^[3]

Gallery

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  Shamrock Hotel/Emerald Room Program/Menu featuring Gene Austin (circa 1952, Houston, Texas)
• 
  Shamrock Hotel/Emerald Room Program/Menu featuring Gene Austin (circa 1952, Houston, Texas)

References

Bibliography

• "Gene Austin", A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, Vol. 1 (1988), p. 25
• John Agan, "The Voice of the Southland", North Louisiana History, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Fall 1997), 23–37
• Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections, Nevada gubernatorial primaries
• The Rise of the Crooners, Michael Pitts and Frank Hoffman; Scarecrow Press, 2002

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gene Austin.

• Gene Austin at
  IMDb
• Biography in the Handbook of Texas Online
• Audio link for recording of Got the Railroad Blues (RealAudio) Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
• Gene Austin recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.