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 March 18, 1911 (Summum), Died February 16, 1967 (Encino)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1934 - 1947

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

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

Recordings

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  
Brunswick LA1453 10-in. 10/11/1937 Dust 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  
Vocalion 16629 10-in. 1/11/1935 Tumbling tumbleweeds Gene Autry Trio Male vocal trio, with string band vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Burnette, Smiley," accessed April 15, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105750.

Burnette, Smiley. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105750.

"Burnette, Smiley." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 15 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://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 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87911927

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

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/61755634

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

FAST: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/235172

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