Spade Cooley

Spade Cooley

Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley (December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969) was an American convicted murderer and former Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality. In 1961 he was arrested and convicted for the April 1961 murder of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans.

Birth and Death Data: Born Oklahoma, Died November 23, 1969 (Vacaville)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1954

Roles Represented in DAHR: violin, leader, songwriter, composer, vocalist, arranger, other, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 170 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	D7VB-0527	10-in.	4/25/1947	Texas steel guitar	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-0539	10-in.	5/9/1947	I've got a heart filled with love	Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-0540	10-in.	5/9/1947	Tailor made baby	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin, songwriter
Victor	D7VB-0541	10-in.	5/9/1947	Red hot polka	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-0542	10-in.	5/9/1947	You can't take Texas out of me	Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-0547	10-in.	5/18/1947	On the old Spanish trail	Spade Cooley ; Roy Rogers ; Spade Cooley Western Swing Band	Male vocal solo, with string band	instrumentalist, violin, leader
Victor	D7VB-0548	10-in.	5/18/1947	Three fiddle rag	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Western Swing Band	String band	instrumentalist, violin, leader
Victor	D7VB-1398	10-in.	10/20/1947	Call me darlin', do	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with string band	instrumentalist, violin, leader, songwriter
Victor	D7VB-1399	10-in.	10/20/1947	That's the last straw	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with string band	instrumentalist, violin, leader
Victor	D7VB-1800	10-in.	10/20/1947	Tuesday two-step	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	instrumentalist, violin, leader, songwriter
Victor	D7VB-1822	10-in.	10/20/1947	Fickle woman	Spade Cooley	Male vocal solo, with string band	leader, instrumentalist, violin, songwriter
Victor	D7VB-1823	10-in.	10/27/1947	Oklahoma waltz	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band ; Spadettes	String band, with female vocal group	leader, instrumentalist, violin, songwriter
Victor	D7VB-1824	10-in.	10/27/1947	Lord Nottingham's war dance	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band, with male vocal solo	leader, instrumentalist, violin, songwriter
Victor	D7VB-1869	10-in.	11/10/1947	Big chief boogie	Spade Cooley	Male vocal solo, with string band	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-1870	10-in.	11/10/1947	Whistle bait	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with string band	leader, instrumentalist, violin, songwriter
Victor	D7VB-1871	10-in.	11/10/1947	The best deal in town	Spade Cooley	Male vocal solo, with string band	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-2102	10-in.	11/17/1947	Spanish fandango	Spade Cooley	Male vocal solo, with string band	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-2103	10-in.	11/17/1947	Blonde fiddle blues	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	leader, instrumentalist, violin, composer
Victor	D7VB-2104	10-in.	11/17/1947	Four fiddle polka	Spade Cooley	String band	leader, instrumentalist, violin, composer
Victor	D7VB-2105	10-in.	11/17/1947	Topeka polka	Spade Cooley	String band	leader, instrumentalist, violin, composer
Victor	D9VB-0562	10-in.	3/30/1949	Don't take my word, take my heart	Jed Dees ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0563	10-in.	3/30/1949	I had my heart set on you	Jed Dees ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0564	10-in.	3/30/1949	Arizona waltz	Becky Barfield ; Spade Cooley Band	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0565	10-in.	3/30/1949	Don't call me sweetheart anymore	Jed Dees ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0572	10-in.	4/5/1949	Wagonner	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	leader, arranger, instrumentalist, violin

(Results 26-50 of 170 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Cooley, Spade," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/202076.

Cooley, Spade. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/202076.

"Cooley, Spade." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.