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Eddie Dean

Eddie Dean (born Edgar Dean Glosup; (1907-07-09)July 9, 1907 – (1999-03-04)March 4, 1999) was an American Western singer and actor. His smooth baritone impressed both Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, who considered Dean the best cowboy singer of all time.

Eddie Dean's show-business career began in 1937, as a radio singer. Within the year Republic Pictures, a producer of low-budget western and action feature films, hired him to play incidental roles. He also joined the Hopalong Cassidy production team in 1938, and appeared in many Paramount westerns. Beginning in 1941, producers took notice of Dean's singing voice and gave him specialty numbers.

In 1944 producer Walt Mattox hired Eddie Dean to support cowboy star Ken Maynard in the low-budget feature Harmony Trail. This led to producer Robert Emmett Tansey approaching Dean to star in a radically new series of westerns, to be released by PRC. These would be the first budget westerns to be filmed in then-unusual Cinecolor. The Eddie Dean series was immediately successful, with the added novelty of color attracting much attention among theater owners. Dean's first three starring vehicles featured Lash LaRue, who soon graduated to his own series.

In 1947 the PRC studio was absorbed by Eagle-Lion Films, which continued to use the PRC brand name for its westerns. Under Eagle-Lion the budgets became smaller and smaller: color film was forsaken in favor of ordinary black-and-white film, and many of the action scenes were lifted from older pictures, with Dean appearing in much fewer new scenes. The series limped to its conclusion with The Tioga Kid (1948), with Dean and some of the supporting cast members dressed to match their appearances in an older film. The Tioga Kid used so much old, out-of-context footage of Eddie Dean that the script explained it away as being Dean's twin brother! Despite the economies, Eddie Dean remained a popular western personality, starring in 20 features. (His 1944 feature Harmony Trail was re-released in 1947 to capitalize on his new movie fame, with Dean now billed as the star and the film retitled White Stallion.)

Attempts to further his screen career were unsuccessful. In 1950 he starred in two half-hour experiments for an early TV series, The Marshal of Gunsight Pass; these were unusual in that they were broadcast live, and any mistakes went out over the air. Movie producer Ron Ormond gave Dean a specialty number in his vaudeville revue Varieties on Parade in 1951, but no further work was forthcoming.

Like many singing cowboys no longer working in pictures, Eddie Dean became a recording artist. He scored three hits on the US Country charts. "One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)" peaked at number 11 in 1948 and "I Dreamed of a Hill-Billy Heaven" peaked at number 10 in 1955. Dean co-wrote both songs. Dean charted again with the song "Way Out Yonder" in 1955.

Birth and Death Data: Born Texas (state of the United States of America), Died March 4, 1999 (Los Angeles (seat of Los Angeles County, and largest city in California, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1948

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, guitar, songwriter, composer, lyricist

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 26 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-011882 10-in. 8/3/1937 My last moving day Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin composer, lyricist  
Victor D8VB-4101 10-in. 12/21/1948 One has my name (The other has my heart) Drugstore Cowboys ; Jack Lathrop Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal trio and instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Columbia H426 10-in. 8/11/1941 I'm comin' home, darlin' Gene Autry Male vocal solo, with string band songwriter  
Columbia H1144 10-in. 11/29/1944 I'll be back Gene Autry Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Columbia H1144 10-in. 11/29/1944 I'll be back Gene Autry Male vocal solo, with string band songwriter  
Columbia C1147 10-in. 11/1/1935 Red sails in the sunset Jimmie and Eddie Dean Male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist  
Columbia C1148 10-in. 11/1/1935 There's an old family album in the parlor Jimmie and Eddie Dean Male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist  
Brunswick C1141 10-in. 10/30/1935 The Oregon Trail Jimmie and Eddie Dean Male vocal duet, with guitar vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Brunswick C2042 10-in. 7/9/1928 Barefoot days Eddie Dean Male vocal solo vocalist  
ARC 19408 10-in. 6/8/1936 My herdin' song Westerners (Massey Family) String band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Decca DLA 2718 10-in. 9/4/1941 Little grey home on the West Eddie Dean vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca DLA 2719 10-in. 9/4/1941 On the banks of the sunny San Juan Eddie Dean vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca DLA 2720 10-in. 9/4/1941 When it's harvest time in peaceful valley Eddie Dean vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca DLA 2721 10-in. 9/4/1941 Where the silv'ry Colorado wends its way Eddie Dean vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca DLA 2914 10-in. 2/25/1942 Back in the saddle again Eddie Dean vocalist  
Decca DLA 2915 10-in. 2/25/1942 Sleepy time in Caroline Eddie Dean vocalist  
Decca DLA 2916 10-in. 2/25/1942 How can you say you love me? Eddie Dean vocalist  
Decca DLA 2917 10-in. 2/25/1942 I'm comin' home darlin' Eddie Dean vocalist  
Decca DLA 2918 10-in. 2/25/1942 The land where the roses never fade Eddie Dean vocalist  
Decca DLA 2919 10-in. 2/25/1942 Don't forget that Jesus loves you Eddie Dean vocalist  
Decca C 9446 10-in. 9/10/1934 Tell Mother I'll be there Eddie Dean ; Jimmie Dean vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca C 9447 10-in. 9/10/1934 (There's) No disappointment in heaven Eddie Dean ; Jimmie Dean vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca C 9448 10-in. 9/10/1934 There shall be showers of blessing Eddie Dean ; Jimmie Dean vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca C 9449 10-in. 9/10/1934 Happy in Him Eddie Dean ; Jimmie Dean vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca C 9450 10-in. 9/10/1934 There's no friend like Jesus Eddie Dean ; Jimmie Dean vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
(Results 1-25 of 26 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Dean, Eddie," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116082.

Dean, Eddie. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116082.

"Dean, Eddie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116082

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