The Touch of Roy and Dale, Volume II: Personally Told Stories of Lives Changed by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

By Tricia Spencer

Compiled from 40,000 letters written to icons Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, plus essays from celebrities and others, Volume II continues the revelation of how millions of lives were changed by the life of just one, or in this case, just two, real people. From laughter to heartbreak, the personal accounts and more than 600 photos, art, poetry and songs, tell Roy's and Dale's story in an extraordinarily unique way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9780989928816

Book preview

Introduction

Like a pebble tossed onto a gentle pond, the touch of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans continues to ripple through our lives in ever wider circles. New generations are introduced to Roy and Dale by older generations, and through that sharing, their influence lives on. Perhaps the flame doesn’t burn as brightly as it did in their heyday. After all, little buckaroos who grew up with Roy and Dale are growing older every day. But the spark is still there, and it’s fanned into a rich, full flame every time Grandpa or Grandma, Aunt or Uncle, Mom or Dad, or favorite teacher remembers and shares Roy’s and Dale’s happy trails with wide-eyed young ones. And that’s just as it should be.

The Touch of Roy and Dale, Volume II doesn’t stray far from the original The Touch of Roy and Dale. Like its predecessor, this book is chocked full of letters sent to Roy and Dale, along with essays, poetry, songs and art provided by those who knew them well and loved them most. Roy’s and Dale’s fans were, and are, steadfast. There’s no denying it. Whether getting to know Roy and Dale was the result of a lightning quick meeting, a glorious extended encounter, or existed only as a dream of someday crossing paths with them in person, their impact on our lives is unforgettable.

Roy’s and Dale’s children added their voices to the first book. In this volume, you will get to read stories from some of their grandchildren. In her 1983 book, Grandparents Can, Dale shared tips for grandparents who wished to be a positive part of their grandchildren’s lives. She clearly took her own advice, for her grandchildren thought that Roy and Dale, famous though they might be, were the best, most down-to-earth grandparents any child could wish for.

Another discernible difference between this book and the first one is the increased number of essays and the abundance of unique photographs that accompany them. Those who knew Roy and Dale best have opened their hearts and their personal photo albums and provided an extraordinary and diverse collection of memories and photographs for every Roy and Dale fan to enjoy. All combined, the photos in this book number nearly six hundred.

Roy and Dale made scores of movies, sang hundreds of songs and wrote dozens of inspiring books. And in the 1950s, the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans brand was second only to Walt Disney in product licensing. They were big, hugely successful celebrities. But none of that is what made them what they were to their fans. It was their goodness, the charity in their hearts, and their open arms that touched anyone who stumbled into their path, from any direction. Whether the experience came from the un-Hollywood-like manner in which they faced each day, onscreen and off, or from actually being in their presence, people whose lives brushed against theirs changed in some way. Some had more hope, others more peace. For some, it was just the sheer enjoyment of watching Roy and Dale do what they do best that triggered a new bounce to their step.

Decades before it became fashionable to mash together the names of entwined couples, ala turning Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie into Brangelina, Roy and Dale fans unified their two heroes in a most tangible way. Almost since that first kismet pairing in the 1944 film, The Cowboy and the Senorita, the fans turned two people into one. Roy may have always gotten top billing, but to the fans there was only Roy and Dale, as if they had melded together. At the time, most didn’t even realize that Dale had been enjoying her own blossoming career long before she met Roy. But Dale’s early story is compelling all on its own. And in this book, through thoughts and photos that represent Dale’s early career and life, you will get to know her as the strong, amazing woman she was before she was the Dale in Roy and Dale.

Dale was still a young teenager when she married her first husband and had a child, Tom. Sadly, she was still that young teenager when divorce left her a single mother with a toddler to care for. But her love and devotion for her young son didn’t derail her dreams. Like most moms faced with hardship, she took the reins of her destiny in her own capable hands and found ways to support herself and her child, without ever losing sight of her entertainment aspirations. Soon she segued from a clerical position at an insurance firm to singing on the radio in Memphis, Tennessee. She performed under her married name, Frances Fox, and took requests on live radio shows, bringing her, and her growing audience of fans, much pleasure. Those early radio moments were more than happy times. They were the first steps Dale would take on her way to making a name for herself. Unfortunately, her relationship path was a bit rockier, and a second marriage to a young man who did not share her passion for the world of entertainment ended after only a brief tenure.

After Memphis, and an initial attempt to make it big in Chicago, Dale headed back south and joined the staff of a radio station in Louisville, Kentucky. It was there that two life-changing events occurred. First, she began to earn a real entertainer’s salary, making daily life easier for her and little Tom. And second, she became Dale Evans. The program director who invented the name convinced her how fluid it would sound coming from the lips of radio announcers. It would also be easy to spell, preventing unwanted mistakes in future advertising. That program director surely had no idea at the time just how perfect that name would become.

When circumstances later returned Dale and Tom to the Texas home of her parents, she went to work for a radio station in Dallas. In due course, a pianist Dale had dated in Louisville, whose name also happened to be Dale, came to Dallas to do orchestral arrangements for the band at the radio station where Dale was now employed. New dates led to a new marriage that would last, this time, for years. Still, growing apart can happen, and eventually that’s what happened to Dale’s third marriage. Once again, she found herself divorced. Later she would recall how faith and spirituality would have changed things for her in those days. But she was, at that time, only gingerly embracing spiritual guidance. She struggled with the concept that spirituality and an entertainment career could truly be compatible.

But Dale was nothing if not filled with fortitude. And she began to find a way to simultaneously embrace her faith and her career, learning, then teaching, through her life choices that it was more than possible to have both.

Dale enjoyed many successful films and records, appeared in advertising spreads for a number of products, (some of which you will see in these pages) and performed at more than 600 USO shows for the troops. When the Hollywood Stamps of the Stars & Studios came out in 1947, Dale had her own stamp on the sheet that also featured the likes of Clark Gable and Van Johnson. Dale was not depicted as a cowgirl on her stamp, even though she had already done Westerns at that point in her career. Republic Pictures simply thought of her as one of their glamorous female stars — a star on the rise.

After her first agent, Joe Rivkin, entered the Armed Forces, Dale needed new representation, and Mr. Rivkin suggested that she contact a man named Art Rush. She did, and as fate would have it, Roy and Dale would separately find themselves represented by the same man. Dale was Mr. Rush’s very first female client, but it seemed to her that her agent could talk of nothing but his golden boy, a singing cowboy named Roy Rogers. It was Mr. Rush who introduced them when Dale shared a stage with the Sons of the Pioneers at an Edwards Air Force Base performance. And as Dale would later recall, she thought Roy was nice, but no fireworks went off when she met him. At least not yet.

Feeling that her agent was simply too preoccupied with Roy’s ever-blossoming career, and not nearly occupied enough with her fledgling one, Dale eventually parted ways with Mr. Rush. Yet even after moving on to her third agent, Danny Winkler, Mr. Rush would still find ways to help her, even if only behind the scenes. In time, things would come full circle, and Mr. Rush would once again oversee the interests of both his prodigy singing cowboy and his first ever female client. He became the dearest of friends who would also serve as Roy’s best man at his wedding to Dale, while his wife, Mary Jo, was Dale’s matron of honor.

It would be later in Dale’s career when she would join forces with a gentleman named Dick Baxter, a show business manager who credits his friendship with Art Rush for teaching him what he needed to learn about the business. You will have the pleasure of hearing from Mr. Baxter in this book. Dale’s and her new manager’s professional association would last over twenty years. Their friendship and mutual admiration would last forever.

After marrying Roy in 1947, Dale’s lifelong quest of starring in a big stage musical passed her by when she turned down the lead role in the London production of Annie Get Your Gun. No matter how long she had dreamed of such a moment, she opted instead to stay home to try to become the best stepmom she could be to Roy’s three small children. Still, from her earliest roots, singing was as much a part of Dale as breathing, and through her voice and her songwriting, she reached beyond the scope of rollicking westerns to reach fans of all persuasions. From the pop music of the day to gospels and lullabies, Dale’s talents and gifts were widespread. And when she added author to her long list of accomplishments, her literary successes exceeded even her musical ones. This kind, caring woman had boundless spirit, personal strength and extraordinary drive, and no matter what the project, she always gave it everything she had to give. Roy once mused that if Dale could figure a way to avoid sleeping, she would be the happiest person in the world.

Once Roy and Dale officially became that one-breath persona known as Roy and Dale, the highs and lows of their lives swung like a pendulum. From setting attendance records at their shows all over the world and successfully making the leap from films to that new, rapidly growing medium, television, to the adoptions of their wonderful children, the highs reached to the stars. But the lows were mighty as well. The tragic loss of three of their children tested their mettle, but their love and faith not only gave them the strength to survive, it made them stronger.

Roy and Dale were selfless. You will read stories in this book about their actions, large and small, that stuck with people for every breath they took in life. People love Roy and Dale no less today than they did so many decades ago. It’s extraordinary.

Of the 40,000 letters I acquired from Roy’s and Dale’s estate, only a pittance of that amount could be represented in the first The Touch of Roy and Dale book and in this Volume II. There isn’t a book large enough to hold them all. And that’s sad, because there are so many stories to be told. As in the first book, you will sometimes see THEN and NOW designations within a letter, which represents the sentiments of the original letter as well as comments written especially for this book. Essays written for this book are so noted, and all entries have been edited for space. Sometimes the letters were many pages long. Sometimes they were only a few words. But whether the included excerpt is short or long, they all share a common premise — an abiding love and respect for Roy and Dale.

Most of the letters you will read were written in the 1990s, when Roy and Dale began to experience health issues. Fans flocked to their sides, even if they could only do so in letters. Other letters were written to Dale after Roy’s passing, but sentiments of heartache and sadness were soon overshadowed by admiration and the relating of wonderful memories. I sought permission to print letters from far greater numbers than you will see, but reconciling very old addresses was akin to climbing a mountain that didn’t want to be climbed. To say it was arduous would be a huge understatement. And some of the letters arrived with no discernible means at all of finding those who had written them. This was particularly evident with the large number of letters bearing only APO or FPO return addresses, sent from active-duty military personnel serving around the world.

Though I tried very hard to find these noble veterans, my efforts were unfruitful. So, even though you’ll find none of the individual letters from active-duty Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen or Coast Guard troops inside this book, I want to salute them here, even if only in this small way. Roy and Dale were very supportive of our troops, so in their honor, I have chosen a small sampling of military letters to represent the many who wrote while in uniform.

Here are three small excerpts of those letters.

"Dear Mr. Rogers, I am deployed to Saudi Arabia now, but I’ve followed you since I was old enough to watch TV. I’m so sorry that you are not feeling yourself, but I understand it. Sometimes, through the loneliness here, I feel that nobody cares if I live or die. Then I’ll get a letter addressed to Any Soldier, and I feel better. So I hope this letter helps you feel better, like the letters help me. I admire you for the place you’ve created in history and for the hearts you’ve touched. I give thanks that our country possesses rare people like you that make my duty have meaning. I stand now in a distant land, far from friends and family, but when things are the most unhappy, I just remember back to those days when I watched you bring the bad guys to justice with such honor. It helps me to remember that. You can’t know how much it helps."

Todd J., US Army

"Dear Roy, I am a proud United States Marine, and I’m serving now in Desert Shield. I read that you weren’t feeling well, and I wanted to wish you a quick recovery. I want you to know that even having the option of recovery is worth everything. And you taught me that. You taught me right from wrong and good from bad, but you also taught me that to live a good and decent life is worth fighting for. I’m a grown man, but I love you, Roy. I just wanted you to know that. Please, for all of us, get well."

Henry L., US Marines

"Dear Roy and Dale, A group of us were sharing stories of back home when someone mentioned the old westerns. I jumped in and said how much I’ve always thought of Roy Rogers. Others said the same thing, and before you know it we were singing Happy Trails. The singing, the remembering, the sharing, it all seemed so perfect, even though we are somewhere that is far from perfect. Even today you make people feel happy. I am also stronger because of you, Roy. You lead by example, and I learned from that example. When you are a soldier, every sunrise is a special kind of blessing. But with God and Roy Rogers on my side, I know I’ll see home again, just as I plan to. Take care of yourself, Roy, the world needs you in it. And Dale, you’ve brought a special love to the world, too. We all felt it."

Mark B., US Army

The above excerpts show just how much Roy’s and Dale’s influence on a child’s perspective of life grows as that child turns into an adult. That those in the Armed Forces would take the time, from somewhere on the other side of the world, to reach out when their own heroes were in trouble, says a great deal about Roy and Dale, and it says something especially wonderful about our dedicated service men and women.

In hindsight, I realize that as I was reading through 40,000 letters I should have been jotting down some statistics, like the sheer number of babies named after Roy, Dale, Tom, Cheryl, Linda Lou, Dusty, Robin, Dodie, Sandy, Mimi, and Debbie, as well as all those cherished pets that became Trigger, Buttermilk, and Bullet. Suffice it to say that the numbers are huge. There was an inherent badge of honor attached to receiving a name connected to the Rogers’ family, a name that came with goodness already wrapped inside. We shouldn’t measure ourselves against others, because we are all so very different, each with our own goodness and each with our own trials that test that goodness. But it’s hard not to ask…Are there any babies named after me? That’s the legacy of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. They simply make you want to be better and do better. Babies weren’t named after them and their children because of their celebrity. They were named after them because of their indelible contribution to the lives of the parents who named those children. That’s a rare and meaningful gift.

Some of the photos you will see throughout this book are accompanied by a horseshoe with a rearing horse inside, representing an item in my own personal Roy and Dale collection. The majority of those items came directly from Roy’s and Dale’s estate. Roy never met a flea market he didn’t like, so some of the items are simply eclectic bits of the past that caught his eye. When an item needs a bit of explanation, it will be captioned, but most need no clarification and simply appear with the horseshoe to signify that they not related to the letters or essays surrounding them.

Roy Rogers’ rise to stardom is a story that has been told so many times that by now we all feel as if we were actually a part of his inner circle when that rise happened. Dale’s story is a little less well-known, but no less remarkable, and I hope you will get to know her a bit better here. Both Roy and Dale are people you would want to have over for dinner. They are people you could call in an emergency and know that they would do whatever they could to help you. They are human beings who generously shared their faith and their compassion with the world. And along the way, they touched millions of lives with their own special brand of sincerity. Each had previous marriages — Roy two, Dale three — but when they found each other, it couldn’t have been more right, and they celebrated fifty wonderful wedding anniversaries together.

Most people of a certain age have a favorite Roy or Dale story to tell, and I’m no different. When I was growing up, my family owned horses, and horse shows were an every weekend occurrence. My siblings and I rode and showed horses from the time we could walk. Lots of funny memories are spawned from horses and horse shows, like the time my pony laid down right in front of the judges and rolled over me because she was bothered by flies, or the time the saddle girth came loose, and I ended up clinging to the belly of my pony as she speed-trotted around the ring as if nothing had happened, intent on winning that blue ribbon whether she had a squealing lump bouncing between her legs or not. But mostly, I’ll never forget what happened at the horse show following the first TV episode I ever saw of The Roy Rogers Show. After the judging was finished, I rode forward to receive my ribbon then departed the arena singing Happy Trails at the top of my lungs. After all, that’s what Roy and Dale did as they departed, so I thought that’s what I should do, too. I don’t know if the judges were amused, but the watchful crowd roared their pleasure. It’s true. Everyone loves the melody and the sentiment of Happy Trails. Without question, Dale wrote a song that will live forever.

I am honored that through the first The Touch of Roy and Dale book and through this Volume II, I’ve had the good fortune to play even a small part in preserving the legacies of Roy and Dale. And I’m also honored that, as with the first book, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this Volume II will go to Roy’s and Dale’s charity, The Happy Trails Children’s Foundation. Roy and Dale believed in a world where all children could live, love and prosper, and The Happy Trails Children’s Foundation works toward that goal every single day.

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were, and will forever be, everyday heroes, and we all absorbed something different from their presence in our lives. Their influence is that something special that sticks to your ribs like warm oatmeal on a cold morning. And speaking for Roy and Dale fans everywhere, I’m confident we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Author Tricia Spencer, age 8

Tricia, age 7, with big brother Steve, age 13, on the trail with Buster and Blaze

Tricia, age 8 riding Candy, and Steve, age 14 riding Sugar, (Candy’s dam), waiting to be called for a western pairs class at a summer of 1960 horse show

What all the best dressed buckaroos were wearing!

Senator Max Cleland and Roy Rogers

photo provided by Patrick Curtis

August 17, 2013: As a boy, like millions of others, I adopted the role of Roy Rogers when playing with the neighborhood children. There was a girl next door who was always the Dale to my Roy, and our adventures rivaled any that the real Roy and Dale portrayed on the big screen. To this day, my home is full of Roy and Dale photographs and memorabilia. They were an extraordinary couple, and Roy’s influence will be felt for generations to come. Roy was my hero. He and Dale are sorely missed by those who had the pleasure of experiencing their leadership and kind ways, but even more so by those who are too young to have known the blessing of growing up with them. They always led the way from a place of honor and integrity. And when you learned from them, you carried those lessons with you through the trials and tribulations of your own life. It was always an honor to share their Happy Trails.

Senator Max Cleland, decorated veteran, former Georgia Secretary of State, former United States Senator, current Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission

to - Roy

THEN (1/31/92): It was nice to see the news about Roy Rogers’ new show. Many youngsters today only know Roy Rogers as a fast food stop. It will be great to show them what he stands for. Good over evil, decency, honesty, and true values. Other than prankster cartoons, Saturday mornings leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, thanks to Nashville and Nostalgia Television, they are exposed in part to Hoppy, Gene and You.

I still remember the day you shook my hand in the old Madison Square Garden many years ago. I have taken the liberty of sending you photos of Broadway Trigger, the best horse in the barn. True to his namesake, he never lets me down - bold at riots and before demonstrators - gentle for visits to children’s hospitals, and even when used for therapeutic riding on his days off.

God bless you and keep you. Fortunate I am to have been raised in a different era.

NOW (4/27/12): Over the years I’ve been fortunate to have met Roy Rogers and Gene Autry through the NY Police Department, of which I was a member for 26 years.

In 1976, Roy Rogers donated a horse to the mounted unit. His name was Broadway Trigger, and I rode him for 19 years on the streets of New York City. He more than lived up to his name.

In 1995, along with Dolores Hope, Roy and Dale funded the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans pavilion at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in the Bronx, NY. I’ve included photos of that wing.

Myself and a detail of the Big Apple Cowboys (which included Mark and Helen Panzella, who had performed at the 40s and 50s rodeos at Madison Square Garden where I drooled as a kid) did a show outside the Waldorf Astoria. Many members of the NYPD mounted unit were members