Smiley Burnette

Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and other B-movie cowboys. He was also a prolific singer-songwriter who is reported to have played proficiently over 100 musical instruments, sometimes more than one simultaneously. His career, beginning in 1934, spanned four decades, including a regular role on CBS-TV's Petticoat Junction in the 1960s.

Birth and Death Data: Born Summum (unincorporated community in Illinois), Died February 16, 1967 (Encino (neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1934 - 1954

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, songwriter, composer, lyricist, harmony vocal

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 28 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-80848 10-in. 10/9/1934 Round-up in Cheyenne Girls of the Golden West Female vocal duet, with guitar songwriter  
Victor BS-02521 10-in. 10/11/1936 Follow the bugle Fred Morris ; Washboard Wonders Washboard band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor D6VB-1763 10-in. 5/3/1946 It's my lazy day Moon Maids ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal ensemble and jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D7VB-0797 10-in. 8/12/1947 Hominy grits Ernie Lee ; Midwesterners (Ernie Lee) Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor D7VB-1898 10-in. 12/2/1947 Swamp woman blues Riders of the Rio Grande ; Johnny Tyler Male vocal solo, with string band composer  
Columbia HCO1863 10-in. 6/5/1946 Ridin' down the canyon Gene Autry Male vocal solo, with string band songwriter  
Columbia C2129 10-in. 2/28/1938 The roundup in Cheyenne Girls of the Golden West Female vocal duet, with guitar songwriter  
Columbia WC3077 10-in. 6/8/1940 Lonely Rose Louise Massey ; Westerners String band, with female vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Columbia RHCO10713 10-in. 1/4/1954 Closing the book Gene Autry ; Carl Cotner Orchestra Male vocal solo, with string band composer, lyricist  
Columbia RHCO10714 10-in. 1/4/1954 My lazy day Gene Autry ; Carl Cotner Orchestra Male vocal solo, with string band composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C1137 10-in. 10/30/1935 Ridin' down the canyon when the desert sun goes down Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal quartet songwriter  
Brunswick C1217 10-in. 1/21/1936 Just come on in Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Brunswick C2106 10-in. 2/17/1938 Fetch me down my trusty 45 Prairie Ramblers String band, with male vocal duet songwriter  
Brunswick LA1129 10-in. 5/29/1936 When the moon shines on the Mississippi Valley Light Crust Doughboys String band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Brunswick LA1453 10-in. 10/11/1937 Dust Gene Autry Male vocal solo, with string band vocalist, harmony vocal  
Brunswick LA1471 10-in. 10/18/1937 When it's springtime in the Rockies Gene Autry Male vocal solo, with string band vocalist, harmony vocal  
Brunswick LA1473 10-in. 10/18/1937 Take me back to my boots and saddle Gene Autry Male vocal solo, with string band vocalist, harmony vocal  
Exclusive EXC-1214 10-in. 12/31/1949 Lookin' poor, but feelin' rich Doye O'Dell composer  
ARC 15261 10-in. 5/29/1934 Mama don't like my music Smiley Burnette Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist  
ARC 15263 10-in. 5/29/1934 He was a traveling man Smiley Burnette Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars and piano vocalist  
ARC 16570 10-in. 1/15/1935 The old covered wagon Gene Autry ; Smiley Burnette Male vocal duet, with guitar, steel guitar, and string bass vocalist  
ARC 16575 10-in. 1/16/1935 Hold on, little doggies, hold on Gene Autry Trio Male vocal trio, with string band vocalist  
ARC 16578 10-in. 1/16/1935 Ridin' down the canyon Gene Autry ; Smiley Burnette Male vocal duet, with string band vocalist, songwriter  
ARC 16581 10-in. 1/17/1935 Wagon train Gene Autry ; Smiley Burnette Male vocal duet, with string band vocalist  
ARC 16583 10-in. 1/17/1935 Old Faithful Gene Autry Trio Male vocal trio, with string band vocalist  
(Results 1-25 of 28 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Burnette, Smiley," accessed December 27, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105750.

Burnette, Smiley. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 27, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105750.

"Burnette, Smiley." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 27 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105750

External Sources

Wikipedia: Smiley Burnette

Discogs: Smiley Burnette

Allmusic: Smiley Burnette

IMDb: Smiley Burnette

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Burnette, Smiley, 1911-1967 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87911927

Wikidata: Smiley Burnette - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3090745

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/61755634

MusicBrainz: Smiley Burnette - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/bffc2f47-d113-4b49-ac49-530e2e86f993

Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/235172 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/235172

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

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