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 51-75 of 170 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	D9VB-0573	10-in.	4/5/1949	Flop-eared mule	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	leader, arranger, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0574	10-in.	4/5/1949	The eighth of January	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	leader, arranger, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0575	10-in.	4/5/1949	Ida Red	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	leader, instrumentalist, violin, arranger
Victor	D9VB-0576	10-in.	4/5/1949	Wake up, Susan!	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	leader, arranger, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0577	10-in.	4/5/1949	6/8 to the barn	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	leader, instrumentalist, violin, arranger
Victor	D9VB-0578	10-in.	4/5/1949	Arkansas traveler	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	leader, arranger, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0579	10-in.	4/5/1949	The gal I left behind me	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	String band	leader, arranger, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0699	10-in.	8/9/1949	Skip to my Lou	Spade Cooley ; Roy Rogers ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	String band, with dance calls	leader
Victor	D9VB-0700	10-in.	8/9/1949	Old Joe Clark	Spade Cooley ; Roy Rogers ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	String band, with dance calls	leader
Victor	D9VB-0701	10-in.	8/9/1949	Rickett's reel	Spade Cooley ; Roy Rogers ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	String band, with dance calls	leader
Victor	D9VB-0702	10-in.	8/9/1949	Sycamore reel	Spade Cooley ; Roy Rogers ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	String band, with dance calls	leader
Victor	D9VB-0703	10-in.	8/9/1949	Oh dem golden slippers	Spade Cooley ; Roy Rogers ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	String band, with dance calls	leader
Victor	D9VB-0704	10-in.	8/9/1949	Lucky leather breeches	Spade Cooley ; Roy Rogers ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	String band, with dance calls	leader
Victor	D9VB-0782	10-in.	11/17/1949	Foolish tears	Spade Cooley ; Ginny Jackson ; Spade Cooley Orchestra	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0783	10-in.	11/17/1949	Send ten pretty flowers to my girl in Tennessee	Spade Cooley ; Bob "Tex" Cromer ; Spade Cooley Orchestra	Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D9VB-0784	10-in.	11/17/1949	Texas star	Les Anderson ; Spade Cooley ; Bob "Tex" Cromer	Male vocal solo, with dance calls and instrumental ensemble	leader
Victor	D9VB-0785	10-in.	11/17/1949	Pretty please love me	Spade Cooley ; Ginny Jackson	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader
Victor	D9VB-2241	10-in.	9/14/1949	Mama and daddy broke my heart	Eddy Arnold	Male vocal solo, with string band	composer
Victor	D9VB-2380	10-in.	10/10/1949	Shame on you	Lisa Kirk ; Henri René ; Three Beaus and a Peep	Female vocal solo, with vocal quartet and instrumental ensemble	composer, lyricist
Columbia	H454	10-in.	8/19/1941	When you took your love away	6-Bar Cowboys ; Ray Whitley	String band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, violin
Columbia	HCO455	10-in.	8/19/1941	Please don't forget me dear	6-Bar Cowboys ; Ray Whitley	String band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, violin
Columbia	H456	10-in.	8/19/1941	Darlin' don't cry over me	6-Bar Cowboys ; Ray Whitley	String band, with male vocal duet	instrumentalist, violin
Columbia	H457	10-in.	8/19/1941	How was I to know	6-Bar Cowboys ; Ray Whitley	String band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, violin
Columbia	H486	10-in.	8/27/1941	If you only believed in me	Gene Autry	Male vocal solo, with string band	instrumentalist, violin
Columbia	H487	10-in.	8/27/1941	Keep rollin' lazy longhorns	Gene Autry	Male vocal solo, with string band	instrumentalist, violin

(Results 51-75 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.