Spade Cooley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spade Cooley
Spade Cooley (1944)
Born	Donnell Clyde Cooley (1910-12-17)December 17, 1910 Grand, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	November 23, 1969(1969-11-23) (aged 58) Oakland, California, U.S.
Other names	King of Western Swing
Details
Date	April 3, 1961
Musical career
Genres	Western swing
Occupation(s)	Big band leader, actor, television personality
Instruments	Fiddle, vocals
Years active	c. 1940–1961 November 23, 1969 (half-show)
Labels	Westernair, Columbia, RCA, Decca, OKeh

Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley (born December 17, 1910 – died November 23, 1969) was a famous American Western swing musician. He was also a big band leader, an actor, and a television personality. He was known as the "King of Western Swing" because of his popular music and TV shows. Later in his life, he was involved in a serious legal case and was sent to prison.

Early Life and Nickname

Donnell Clyde Cooley was born in a place called Grand, in Oklahoma. He was partly Cherokee, and when he was young, he went to the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon.

In 1930, his family moved to California. This was during a tough time called the Dust Bowl, when many people moved from the central United States. Donnell got his nickname "Spade" after playing a game of poker. He won three hands in a row using cards that were all from the "spades" suit.

Music Career Highlights

Spade Cooley was a talented fiddle player. He joined a big band led by Jimmy Wakely. They played at the Venice Pier Ballroom in Venice, California. Thousands of people would come to dance and have fun on Saturday nights. People loved Cooley's music!

When Jimmy Wakely got a movie deal, Spade Cooley took over as the bandleader. He hired a singer named Tex Williams, who had a deep voice. Cooley's band became very popular, and they played at the Venice Pier Ballroom for 18 months, which was a record for the 1940s.

Hit Songs and Movies

Spade Cooley wrote and recorded a song called "Shame on You". It was released in 1944 and quickly became a No. 1 hit on the country music charts. Other artists also covered the song, and their versions were popular too. "Shame on You" was the first of six top-ten songs for Cooley, including "Detour".

Cooley also appeared in many Western films. He was in 38 movies, sometimes in small parts and sometimes as a stand-in for the famous cowboy actor Roy Rogers. His band was featured in short films called "soundies," which were like early music videos.

Band Changes and TV Show

In 1946, Cooley's band changed a lot. He fired Tex Williams, who then started his own successful band. Many musicians left with Williams. Cooley then rebuilt his band, adding new talented players and even more instruments like brass and reed sections.

In 1948, Spade Cooley started hosting his own TV show called The Spade Cooley Show. It was a variety show broadcast from the Santa Monica Ballroom in Los Angeles. The show was very popular and even won local Emmy awards in 1952 and 1953. Famous guests like Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore appeared on his show.

Spade Cooley was known for promoting himself as the "King of Western Swing." He even had a "battle of the bands" with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Later, a star was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor him in 1960.

Later Life and Passing

Spade Cooley faced serious personal challenges. In 1961, he was convicted and sent to prison.

On November 23, 1969, he was allowed to leave prison for a short time to play a benefit concert in Oakland. After receiving a big cheer from the audience, Cooley sadly had a fatal heart attack backstage. He is buried in Hayward.

Spade Cooley in Pop Culture

Spade Cooley's life has been featured in books and other media.

• Writer John Gilmore wrote about Cooley in his book L.A. Despair.
• He is also a character in some of James Ellroy's novels, including L.A. Confidential.
• Country music historian Rich Kienzle wrote about Cooley in his 2003 book Southwest Shuffle.

Cooley has also been mentioned in TV shows and songs:

• In an episode of The Honeymooners, his music is referenced.
• On The Jack Benny Program, guest star Bob Crosby joked about Cooley.
• The author Craig Johnson mentioned Cooley's music in his Longmire novel Junkyard Dogs.
• Musician Ry Cooder referenced Cooley in his 2008 album I, Flathead.
• In 2015, a TV show called Tabloid on Investigation Discovery talked about his story.
• In 2018, the podcast "Disgraceland" also featured an episode about Spade Cooley.

Discography

Spade Cooley released many albums and singles during his career. Here are some of them:

• Sagebrush Swing (Columbia, 1949)
• Square Dances (RCA Victor, 1949)
• Fidoodlin' (Ray Note, 1959)
• The Best of The Spade Cooley Transcribed Shows (The Club of Spade, 1978)
• Spadella! The Essential Spade Cooley (Columbia/Legacy, 1994)
• King of Western Swing (Collectors' Choice Music, 1997)

See also

In Spanish: Spade Cooley para niños

• Aragon Ballroom (Ocean Park)
• Spade Cooley's Western Swing Song Folio