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 1-25 of 170 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	E0VB-3500	10-in.	1/3/1950	The old spinning wheel	Spade Cooley Band	Instrumental ensemble	leader, other
Victor	E0VB-3501	10-in.	1/3/1950	Empty saddles	Hal Derwin ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	other
Victor	E0VB-3502	10-in.	1/3/1950	Lights out	Ginny Jackson ; Spade Cooley Band	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	other
Victor	E0VB-3503	10-in.	1/3/1950	Wagon wheels	Sons of the Pioneers ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal group, with instrumental ensemble	other
Victor	E0VB-3504	10-in.	1/3/1950	The last round-up	Sons of the Pioneers ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal group, with instrumental ensemble	other
Victor	E0VB-3505	10-in.	1/3/1950	In the chapel in the moonlight	Ginny Jackson ; Spade Cooley Band	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	other
Victor	E0VB-3605	10-in.	4/11/1950	Hillbilly fever	Les Anderson ; Spade Cooley ; Ginny Jackson ; Spade Cooley Orchestra	Female-male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	E0VB-3606	10-in.	4/11/1950	Honky-tonkin'	Spade Cooley ; Ginny Jackson ; Spade Cooley Orchestra	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	E0VB-3647	10-in.	5/19/1950	Nine-tenths of the Tennessee River (are the tears that I shed over you)	Ginny Jackson ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	E0VB-3648	10-in.	5/19/1950	Longing	Spade Cooley ; Ginny Jackson ; Spade Cooley Orchestra	Female vocal solo, with vocal quartet and instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	E0VB-3649	10-in.	5/19/1950	Little Liza Lou	Spade Cooley ; Hal Derwin ; Spade Cooley Orchestra	Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	E0VB-3717	10-in.	7/14/1950	Mountain boys have fun with mountain girls	Hal Derwin ; Ginny Jackson ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	Female-male vocal duet with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	E0VB-3718	10-in.	7/14/1950	Someone left the golden gate open	Hal Derwin ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	Male vocal solo with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	E0VB-3726	10-in.	7/20/1950	I miss you already	Ginny Jackson ; Spade Cooley and his Orchestra	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D5AB-0424	10-in.	6/19/1945	Shame on you	Bill Boyd ; Cowboy Ramblers	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	composer
Victor	D5AB-1115	10-in.	8/10/1945	You can't break my heart (it's been broken before)	Roy Rogers	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	songwriter
Victor	D6VB-2138	10-in.	9/4/1946	My Chickashay gal	Country Washburne Orchestra ; Roy Rogers	Male vocal solo, with string band	songwriter
Victor	D7VB-0451	10-in.	1/31/1947	It's dark outside	Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin, songwriter
Victor	D7VB-0452	10-in.	1/31/1947	Who dug this hole I'm in	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin, songwriter
Victor	D7VB-0453	10-in.	1/31/1947	Minuet in swing	Spade Cooley Band	Instrumental ensemble, with soloists	leader, composer, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-0454	10-in.	1/31/1947	Texas playboy rag	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Instrumental ensemble, with soloists	leader, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-0475	10-in.	2/24/1947	Do ya or don'tcha	Country Washburne Orchestra ; Roy Rogers ; Country Washburne	Male vocal solo, with string band	songwriter
Victor	D7VB-0524	10-in.	4/25/1947	Boggs boogie	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Instrumental ensemble	leader, instrumentalist, violin, composer
Victor	D7VB-0525	10-in.	4/25/1947	Red hair and green eyes	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, songwriter, instrumentalist, violin
Victor	D7VB-0526	10-in.	4/25/1947	All aboard for Oklahoma	Spade Cooley ; Spade Cooley Band	Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	leader, songwriter, instrumentalist, violin

(Results 1-25 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.