eddie Dean

Eddie Dean (July 9, 1907 – March 4, 1999) was an American western singer and actor whom Roy Rogers and Gene Autry termed the best cowboysinger of all time. Dean was best known for "I Dreamed Of A Hill-Billy Heaven" (1955), which became an even greater hit for Tex Ritter in 1961. Dean was born Edgar Dean Glosup in the rural community of Posey in Hopkins County, Texas, northwest of Sulphur Springs. His father was ateacher, who encouraged Dean to launch a professional singing career. At the age of sixteen, Dean performed on the Southern gospel circuit with the Vaughan and then the V.O. Stamps quartets. Dean and his brother, Jimmie Dean (not to be confused with Jimmy Dean, the country entertainer originally from Plainview, Texas) moved to Chicagoand performed together on WLS Radio's National Barn Dance. They also did work from a radio station in Yankton, South Dakota. In 1934, Dean appeared in his first film in the role of Sam in Manhattan Love Song. In 1937, Dean relocated to Hollywood, California, and began appearing in westernfilms, often with Mississippi native Roscoe Ates in the role of Soapy Jones. Many of Dean's early roles were uncredited.

Film and musical numbers A partial listing of Dean's films and musical numbers includes:

-The Renegade Trail as Singing Cowboy "Red" (1939) -Rolling Home to Texas as a sheriff (1940) -The Harmony Trail as Marshal Eddie Dean, his first starring role (1944) -Wildfire as Sheriff Johnny Deal (1945); performing "On the Banks of the Sunny San Juan" and "By the Sleepy Rio Grande" -Song of Old Wyoming as Himself (1945); performing "Hills of Old Wyoming", "My Herdin' Song", and "Wild Prairie Rose" -Colorado Serenade" as Himself (1946); performing "Riding On Top of the Mountain", "Western Lullaby", "Ridin' Down To Rawhide", and "Home on the Range" -Down Missouri Way as Himself (1946); performing "Old Missouri Hayride" -Romance of the West" as Himself (1946); performing Ridin' the Trail To Dreamland", "Love Song of the Waterfall", and "Indian Dawn -Tumbleweed Trail as Himself (1946); performing "Tumbleweed Trail", "Lonesome Cowboy", and "Careless Darlin'" -Stars over Texas as Himself (1946); performing "Stars Over Texas", "Sands of the Old Rio Grande", and "Fifteen Hundred and One Miles of Texas" -Range Beyond the Blue as Himself (1947); performing "West of the Pecos", "Range Beyond the Blue", and "Pony With the Uncombed Hair" -Wild Country as Himself (1947); performing "Wild Country", "Saddle With a Golden Horn", and "Ain't No Gal Got a Brand On Me" -The Westward Trail as Himself (1948); performing Cathy", "It's Courtin' Time", and "Westward Trail" -The Tioga Kid as Himself (1948); performing "Driftin' River", "Way Back In Oklahoma", "Ain't No Gal Got A Brand On Me" -Black Hills as Himself (1948); performing "Black Hills", "Punchinello", and "Let's Go Sparkin'"

Dean also appeared in the Hopalong Cassidy adventure film series. Television Dean, Ates, and Jan Sterling also appeared in the short-running ABC television western series, The Marshal of Gunsight Pass, broadcast live in 1950 to West Coast stations from a primitive studio lot at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California. Dean was also featured in archival footage on NBC's The Gabby Hayes Show. Long after The Marshal of Gunsight Pass ended, Dean appeared as Trail Boss Tim in a 1962 television short called The Night Rider, with Johnny Cash as Johnny Laredo and Dick Jones, originally from&n