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Spade Cooley

Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley (December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969) was an American Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality, renowned for popularizing the Western swing genre in the mid-20th century through his energetic performances, hit recordings, and media presence.^[1] Born in Grand, Oklahoma, to a family of third-generation fiddlers with partial Cherokee heritage, Cooley began playing violin at age eight and later attended the Chemawa Indian School in Oregon before his family relocated to California around 1930 amid the Dust Bowl era.^[1] His early career included stints with the Sons of the Pioneers and serving as a stand-in and body double for Roy Rogers in Western films, leading to over 40 acting credits in the genre by the 1940s.^[2] Cooley's rise to prominence came as a bandleader, first replacing Jimmy Wakely at the Venice Pier Ballroom in Los Angeles and later achieving a record-breaking 18-month engagement there, where he hired notable musicians like Tex Williams and developed his signature Western swing sound blending country, jazz, and big band elements.^[3] He scored major success with six Top Ten singles on the Billboard country charts, including the number-one hit "Shame on You" (1944), which topped the charts for two months, as well as "Detour" and "You Can't Break My Heart."^[3] Post-World War II, Cooley expanded into radio and television, hosting the popular Spade Cooley Time and The Spade Cooley Show (1958) in Los Angeles, while also starring in short films like King of Western Swing (1945) and earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the radio category on February 8, 1960.^[3] Often dubbed the "King of Western Swing," his innovations helped define the genre's golden age, influencing countless artists through sold-out dance halls, recordings, and broadcasts.^[1] Cooley's personal life unraveled amid struggles with alcoholism, culminating in tragedy on April 3, 1961, when he murdered his second wife, Ella Mae Evans—a former band vocalist whom he had married in 1945—by beating, stomping, and burning her at their Kern County ranch home.^[4] Convicted of first-degree murder by torture under California law later that year, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and served eight years at the California State Prison Medical Facility in Vacaville.^[5] Granted a medical furlough for a benefit concert, Cooley suffered a fatal heart attack backstage in Oakland on November 23, 1969, just one day before his scheduled parole hearing.^[4]

Early Life

Family and Childhood

Donnell Clyde Cooley was born on December 17, 1910, in the rural community of Grand, Oklahoma, to parents John Wesley Cooley and Emma Peoria Donnell Cooley.^[1]^[2] The Cooleys were a working-class family of mixed English and Native American descent, with partial Cherokee ancestry that influenced their socioeconomic circumstances in early 20th-century rural Oklahoma, where many such households relied on sharecropping and faced economic hardship.^[6]^[1] In 1914, at the age of four, Cooley's family relocated to Salem, Oregon, where he was enrolled at the Chemawa Indian School, a federal boarding institution for Native American students, due to his Cherokee heritage.^[2]^[1] During his time at Chemawa, Cooley received formal instruction in classical violin and cello from teacher Hans von Sietz.^[2] Coming from a lineage of fiddlers—his father and grandfather both played the instrument—Cooley developed an early interest in music through family traditions and local gatherings in Oklahoma.^[1] By age eight, he was performing fiddle at parties and community events, honing his skills informally before his structured training at Chemawa further shaped his instrumental abilities.^[1]^[2]

Relocation to California

In 1930, as the Dust Bowl ravaged Oklahoma's agricultural lands with severe dust storms and economic collapse, the Cooley family joined the mass migration westward, relocating to California in search of stability and escape from a life of sharecropping. The teenager arrived with his family amid the broader exodus of over 300,000 "Okies" fleeing the Plains states during the Great Depression, drawn by promises of farm work in the fertile Central Valley.^[1]^[7] Settling initially in Modesto, in California's Central Valley, the family endured the harsh realities of migrant life, living in modest conditions such as temporary labor camps or inexpensive rentals while adapting to urban and rural environments far from their rural roots. Cooley, leveraging his childhood proficiency with the fiddle learned from Cherokee-influenced family traditions, took on grueling odd jobs to contribute, including seasonal farm labor picking crops and construction work as a general laborer in the Central Valley's agricultural economy. These roles, common among Dust Bowl arrivals, provided meager wages amid widespread prejudice against "Okies" as transient outsiders, yet the family persisted through communal networks of fellow migrants.^[7]^[1] During this period of economic hardship, Cooley began integrating socially by adopting the nickname "Spade" after winning three straight hands of the card game in a poker match with new acquaintances, a moniker that stuck as he navigated California's diverse laborer communities. Undeterred by the daily struggles, he maintained his passion for music, performing informally at local dances, barn gatherings, and social events in the early 1930s, where his fiddle playing helped forge initial connections among working-class audiences hungry for familiar sounds from home. These grassroots performances, often in makeshift venues amid the migrant enclaves, underscored his determination to blend into California's evolving cultural landscape while honing skills that sustained him through the era's uncertainties.^[1]^[7]

Musical and Film Career

Early Performances and Band Formations

In the early 1930s, after relocating to California, Spade Cooley began his professional music career by joining various Western ensembles, including the Sons of the Pioneers, where he played fiddle for pickup gigs. He also performed with groups like the Riders of the Purple Sage and Jimmy Wakely's trio, honing his skills in local dance halls and building a reputation as a versatile fiddler. These early performances laid the groundwork for his entry into the burgeoning Western swing scene, drawing on his Oklahoma-honed fiddle techniques to contribute to lively, dance-oriented sets.^[1]^[8] Cooley's career expanded into film work when he secured a position at Republic Pictures in 1934, serving as a stand-in and occasional stunt double for Roy Rogers, a role that lasted about three years and paid him $17 per day. This stunt work not only provided financial stability but also led to minor acting roles and musical contributions in approximately 38 Western B-movies, where he often appeared as a musician or side character, enhancing the on-screen cowboy ensembles with his fiddle playing. His close association with Rogers during this period fostered a lasting friendship and opened doors in Hollywood's low-budget film industry.^[1]^[8] By the early 1940s, Cooley transitioned to leading his own group, taking over Jimmy Wakely's Western swing band at the Venice Pier Ballroom in 1942 after Wakely pursued a Hollywood contract. Under Cooley's direction, the ensemble became the venue's house band, attracting large crowds of dancers with its energetic style heavily influenced by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, blending country, jazz, and big-band elements. In 1943, he hired Tex Williams as the band's vocalist, adding a smooth baritone that helped define their early sound and propelled their popularity in Southern California's dance halls.^[8]

Hit Recordings and Film Roles

Cooley's breakthrough came in late 1944 when he wrote and recorded "Shame on You," featuring vocals by Tex Williams and Smokey Rogers, which topped the Billboard country charts for eight weeks in 1945 and became one of the biggest-selling country singles of the era.^[9]^[10] This hit established Cooley as a leading figure in Western swing, blending country fiddling with swing rhythms and big band orchestration. Following its success, Cooley penned additional chart-toppers, including "Detour" in 1946, which peaked at number two on the Billboard country charts and showcased his band's polished ensemble sound with layered horns and rhythmic drive.^[9]^[11] By the mid-1940s, Cooley had formed a large Western swing big band of up to 25 members, incorporating big band jazz elements like full horn sections and multiple vocalists to create a fusion that expanded the genre's appeal beyond traditional country audiences.^[12] Under his leadership at the Venice Pier Ballroom in Venice, California, the band drew thousands for live performances, evolving from smaller ensembles into a major attraction that performed at larger venues across the West Coast.^[13] Cooley's radio broadcasts, including live shows from 1945 onward, further amplified this reach, airing on stations that broadcast his innovative arrangements to national listeners and solidifying the big band Western swing style.^[12] In parallel with his recording success, Cooley expanded into film, appearing in Westerns as a musician and actor, often performing with his band in musical sequences. Over his career, Cooley amassed around 38 film credits, primarily in B-Westerns from the 1930s through the 1950s, contributing songwriting and arrangements that integrated Western swing into cinematic soundtracks.^[3]

Television Fame

The Spade Cooley Show

The Spade Cooley Show debuted on August 5, 1948, on KTLA in Los Angeles as a weekly variety program, airing on Thursday evenings before shifting to Saturday nights, and continued broadcasting until 1956. Sponsored initially as The Hoffman Hayride, it quickly became known by Cooley's name and showcased his prowess as the "King of Western Swing" through live musical performances, comedy sketches, and energetic entertainment. The show marked Cooley's seamless transition from his earlier radio broadcasts, where his band had already gained a strong following in Southern California, to the burgeoning medium of television, helping to establish Western swing as a staple of early TV programming.^[14]^[15] Broadcast live from the Santa Monica Ballroom on the pier, the program's format centered on Cooley's orchestra delivering upbeat Western swing numbers, with Cooley himself fiddling, singing, and leading the ensemble alongside regulars like singer Anita Aros and comedian Phil Gray. Guest stars, including notable figures such as Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lewis, added variety, while recurring segments featured comedy routines and dance numbers that encouraged audience participation, often highlighting square dancing to the band's rhythmic tunes. This blend of music, humor, and dance created a lively, interactive atmosphere that drew crowds to the venue and viewers to their screens.^[14]^[16] At its peak, the show commanded an estimated 75 percent of the television audience in the Los Angeles area each Saturday night, making it one of KTLA's top-rated programs and a dominant force in local broadcasting during the early 1950s. By captivating millions through its accessible format, The Spade Cooley Show played a pivotal role in popularizing country and Western music on television, influencing subsequent variety shows like The Lawrence Welk Show and broadening the appeal of the genre beyond live venues. Its success underscored the potential of TV to amplify regional music styles to a mass audience in post-war America.^[14]^[15]

Awards and Honors

In recognition of The Spade Cooley Show's popularity, the program received local Emmy Awards for best film or program in both 1952 and 1953 from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Los Angeles chapter.^[8]^[1] During the 1950s, Cooley was widely acclaimed by peers and media as the "King of Western Swing" for his influential fusion of country, jazz, and big band elements, a title echoed in contemporary film shorts and promotional materials.^[1]^[3] Following the television show's conclusion in 1956, Cooley continued performing with his Western Swing band at venues such as the Santa Monica Ballroom and other California dance halls, alongside occasional minor recording sessions and personal appearances that sustained his regional following through the late 1950s.^[17] In 1960, Cooley was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the radio category at 6802 Hollywood Boulevard, dedicated on February 8, 1960.^[3] That same year, citing health issues including a heart condition and a shift in career demands, Cooley announced his retirement from show business after the Walk of Fame ceremony, marking the end of his active performing era.^[17]

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Spade Cooley married Ella Mae Evans on December 9, 1945, in Clark County, Nevada.^[18] The couple met through music circles, as Evans had worked as a backup singer in Cooley's orchestra before their relationship began.^[19] Evans, born in 1923 in Missouri, brought her own background in performance to the marriage, having sung professionally prior to wedding Cooley.^[20] After their union, she largely shifted to a homemaker role, providing support for Cooley's demanding career while managing household responsibilities.^[21] The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Melody Faith Cooley, in 1946, followed by son Donnell Clyde Cooley Jr. in 1948.^[22] During the height of Cooley's success in the late 1940s and 1950s, the family lived at Willow Springs Ranch in Kern County, California, a rural property that offered a stable base amid his touring and television commitments.^[8]

Marital Strains

As Spade Cooley's career waned in the late 1950s following the cancellation of his television show in 1956, his marriage to Ella Mae Evans, which had begun in 1945, began to deteriorate amid growing suspicions of her infidelity.^[15] Cooley, increasingly isolated after firing his orchestra and failing to launch a water-skiing resort in the Mojave Desert, fixated on imagined affairs, accusing Evans of romantic involvement with male friends, female acquaintances, and even his former associate Roy Rogers.^[23]^[22] These paranoid delusions were exacerbated by his heavy alcohol consumption, which fueled jealous rages and a pattern of controlling behavior, including monitoring her phone calls and demanding forced confessions of betrayal.^[22]^[15] The financial and professional setbacks of this period took a severe toll on Cooley's mental health, manifesting in heightened paranoia and possible manic-depressive tendencies that strained their relationship further.^[15] By 1959 and into 1960, domestic arguments escalated into physical confrontations, with Cooley blaming Evans for his declining fortunes and subjecting her to repeated beatings amid bouts of intoxication.^[23] Temporary separations occurred as Evans sought respite, including stays away from their Willow Springs Ranch home, though Cooley often coerced her return through threats.^[22] Evans made several attempts to assert independence during this time, confiding in friends about her desire to escape the abusive dynamic and even sending money ahead to aid potential flight.^[22] While no formal family interventions or counseling efforts are documented prior to early 1961, the couple's feuding became a regular occurrence, marked by Evans occasionally taunting Cooley with stories of external social activities to provoke a marital end.^[15] Cooley's retirement in 1960 only intensified these tensions, as the loss of his public persona left him stewing in isolation and resentment at the ranch.^[23]

The Murder

The Incident

On April 3, 1961, at the Willow Springs Ranch in Antelope Valley, California, Spade Cooley confronted his wife, Ella Mae Evans, about her alleged visit to a motel with two men, an accusation rooted in his ongoing jealousy over her activities.^[24] The argument quickly escalated as Cooley, who had consumed three whiskey drinks earlier that evening along with three thorazine pills, became violent.^[24] Cooley struck Evans repeatedly, knocking her to the floor in the living room and later in the bedroom, before dragging her nude body from the shower by her hair and banging her head on the floor.^[24] He also strangled her, resulting in a broken hyoid bone, burned her breasts with a cigarette, and used a broom handle to mutilate her.^[24] Their 14-year-old daughter, Melody, arrived home around 6 p.m. at Evans' request to discuss the situation and witnessed the assault, including her father's threats and the ongoing beating; traumatized, she fled the house to seek help from a neighbor.^[24] The physical assault intensified when Cooley stamped on Evans' abdomen multiple times with his boot, causing severe internal injuries.^[24] After the attack, Cooley attempted to revive her by placing her in a bathtub filled with cold water and then called associates, insisting to them that her death was an accident resulting from a fall.^[24] When Cooley's friend Dorothy Davis arrived at the ranch around 11 p.m., she found Evans unresponsive and without a pulse; Davis then called the Antelope Valley Hospital and the sheriff's department for assistance.^[24] A subsequent autopsy determined the cause of death as massive internal hemorrhage from a ruptured abdominal aorta, inflicted by the blunt force trauma of the beating and stomping, with additional injuries including bruises, abrasions, strangulation marks, cigarette burns, and mutilation.^[24]

Aftermath and Arrest

Following the assault on April 3, 1961, Ella Mae Cooley was rushed to Tehachapi Hospital by ambulance, where she was pronounced dead on arrival around 11:35 p.m. due to severe internal injuries.^[24] Kern County Sheriff's deputies arrived shortly thereafter and conducted an initial interview with Spade Cooley at the hospital, where he claimed he had only slapped his wife a few times and attributed her condition to a prior fall in the shower and a car incident.^[25] The investigation extended to the Cooley ranch home near Willow Springs, where deputies documented extensive signs of violence, including bloodstains on floors, walls, sheets, and broken glass, as well as a pool of blood in the bathroom.^[24] Cooley's 14-year-old daughter, Melody, provided a critical witness statement to investigators that evening, recounting how she had observed her father repeatedly beating and stomping on her mother, including forcing her to undress and subjecting her to prolonged abuse before the ambulance was called.^[24] Detectives returned to the ranch on April 5 to collect additional evidence, such as a rifle and further blood traces, ensuring the site remained secured for ongoing probes.^[22] At approximately 3:00 a.m. on April 4, 1961, Cooley gave a voluntary tape-recorded statement to sheriff's deputies at the Kern County Sheriff's substation in Mojave, admitting to physical altercations but denying intent to kill; he was formally arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder later that morning and booked into Kern County Jail in Bakersfield.^[24] The case ignited a media frenzy across California, with outlets dubbing the impending trial the "Trial of the Century" due to Cooley's status as a Western swing icon and the sensational nature of the domestic violence allegations.^[26] In the wake of the incident, Melody was temporarily placed in the custody of a family friend, Mrs. McWhorter, who picked her up after she fled the scene seeking safety; the young girl expressed shock and fear in initial accounts to authorities, while broader family and associates, including Cooley's musical collaborators, reacted with disbelief to the unraveling of his public persona.^[22]

Trial and Imprisonment

Court Proceedings

Donnell Clyde Cooley, known professionally as Spade Cooley, was indicted by a Kern County grand jury on April 26, 1961, for the first-degree murder of his wife, Ella Mae Evans Cooley.^[24] The trial commenced on July 10, 1961, in the Kern County Superior Court in Bakersfield, California, and lasted approximately one month, generating over 2,750 pages of transcript.^[27]^[24] The prosecution argued that the killing was premeditated, driven by Cooley's jealousy over his wife's alleged infidelity, and constituted murder by torture based on evidence of prolonged abuse including beating, stomping, and burning.^[24] In contrast, the defense maintained that Ella Mae's death was accidental, occurring during a heated argument when she allegedly slipped and fell in the shower, and claimed Cooley had suffered a blackout upon confronting her about the supposed affair.^[24]^[26] Key testimonies included that of Cooley's 14-year-old daughter, Melody Cooley, who witnessed the assault and described her father stamping on her mother's abdomen and other violent acts before she fled to seek help.^[24] Medical examiners testified that the cause of death was a rupture of the abdominal aorta resulting from blunt force trauma consistent with stomping, accompanied by evidence of strangulation, broken ribs, and cigarette burns indicating torture.^[24] Cooley himself took the stand, asserting no memory of the events due to a blackout and insisting the injuries were self-inflicted or accidental.^[24]^[26] After closing arguments, the jury of ten men and two women deliberated for approximately 19 hours before announcing a guilty verdict of first-degree murder on August 19, 1961.^[23]^[27]

Prison Sentence and Release

Following his conviction for first-degree murder in August 1961, Spade Cooley was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Superior Court of Kern County.^[24] Although he had faced the possibility of a death sentence during the trial, the judge imposed life due to Cooley's deteriorating health, including heart issues, which made him ineligible for execution.^[28] His appeal, challenging the sufficiency of evidence and other procedural matters, was denied by the California Court of Appeal in December 1962, upholding the life term with parole eligibility after a minimum of seven years.^[24] Cooley began serving his sentence in late 1961 at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, a minimum-security prison hospital suited to his medical needs, where he remained for approximately eight years.^[4] As a model inmate, he earned good behavior credits through consistent compliance and positive contributions, which factored into his eventual parole consideration.^[15] During incarceration, Cooley engaged in rehabilitative activities centered on his musical background; he built fiddles and guitars in the prison hobby shop, formed and led a prison band, performed western swing music for fellow inmates, and taught instrument skills to others, fostering a sense of community and personal redemption.^[22] Cooley also underwent significant personal transformation, finding religion and expressing profound remorse for his actions, reportedly telling fellow prisoners he was deeply sorry and aspired to become a preacher upon release.^[22] In August 1969, the parole board unanimously recommended his release, supported by Governor Ronald Reagan, with parole granted effective February 22, 1970, contingent on ongoing health evaluations given his cardiac condition.^[4]^[22] This decision reflected his demonstrated rehabilitation and low risk, allowing a 72-hour furlough in November 1969 to perform at a benefit concert.^[15]

Death and Legacy

Final Performance and Death

In late 1969, after serving eight years of a life sentence, Spade Cooley received parole approval from the California Adult Authority following a hearing in August, with support from Governor Ronald Reagan, who had been lobbied by Cooley's Hollywood friends; his full release was scheduled for February 22, 1970.^[22]^[4] As part of his attempted career revival, Cooley was granted a 72-hour furlough to perform at a benefit concert, marking his first public appearance in nearly a decade.^[4]^[1] On November 23, 1969, Cooley took the stage at the Oakland Auditorium for a charity event benefiting the Alameda-Contra Costa County Sheriff's Association, where he played violin to an enthusiastic crowd of about 3,000 and received a standing ovation.^[4]^[1] During intermission, after thanking the sponsors, he sat down, collapsed forward, and was pronounced dead at the scene at age 58 from an acute heart attack.^[4]^[1] Cooley's body was returned to the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, where it was cremated following simple arrangements with no public funeral service.^[4] He was survived by his children, daughter Melody and son Donnell Jr., who had witnessed the 1961 murder of their mother, Ella Mae Cooley; Melody, then 22, had no public statement on her father's death but had previously testified against him at trial.^[4]^[22]

Influence and Cultural Depictions

Spade Cooley played a pivotal role in evolving Western swing by integrating big band orchestration and jazz elements into the genre, expanding band sizes to accommodate horn sections and complex arrangements that simulated saxophone-trombone effects with multi-voiced fiddles.^[29]^[30] This approach distinguished his West Coast ensembles from earlier Texas styles, influencing successors to Bob Wills by popularizing a more polished, urban sound that blended country, swing, and pop for larger audiences during the 1940s and 1950s.^[31]^[32] His innovations helped solidify Western swing's transition from regional dance music to a commercially viable form, as detailed in historical analyses of the genre's development.^[33] Posthumously, Cooley has received recognition in Western swing histories and festivals, where he is acknowledged as a key figure despite his personal scandals. The Cowtown Birthplace of Western Swing Festival includes profiles of his contributions, highlighting his self-proclaimed title as "King of Western Swing" following a battle-of-the-bands event with Bob Wills at the Venice Pier Ballroom and his role in promoting the genre through films and broadcasts.^[8] Scholarly works on the genre, such as oral histories and regional music studies, incorporate Cooley as an essential innovator, ensuring his musical legacy endures alongside figures like Wills.^[1]^[34] Cooley's duality as a musical talent and tragic figure has been explored in various media, emphasizing his rise as a bandleader and actor juxtaposed against his violent downfall. The podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones, in its episode "The Murder Ballad of Spade Cooley," portrays him as a pioneering Western swing artist who achieved stardom in California but whose alcoholism and paranoia culminated in his wife's murder, framing him as a cautionary tale in country music history.^[22] Books like Rich Kienzle's Southwest Shuffle profile his influence on West Coast country while addressing his personal demons, and Jean A. Boyd's The Jazz of the Southwest uses oral accounts to depict his big band adaptations as foundational to the genre's jazz fusion.^[33] Articles in outlets like the Los Angeles Times have covered proposed films starring Dennis Quaid, which aimed to capture this contrast but highlight the challenges in reviving his story due to the murder's shadow.^[15] His notoriety from the 1961 murder has fueled cultural references in true crime media, often overshadowing his musical achievements. Podcasts such as Disgraceland dedicate episodes to Cooley's crime, presenting it as a infamous case of celebrity downfall in the entertainment industry.^[35] These depictions underscore the murder's brutality—witnessed by his daughter—as a pivotal event that ended his career, yet they occasionally nod to his earlier success in Western swing to contextualize the tragedy.^[23] Coverage of Cooley's legacy reveals gaps, with limited modern revivals of his music beyond niche tributes by bands like the Lucky Stars in the mid-2000s, and scant in-depth analyses of his filmography, which spans 38 Western appearances but lacks comprehensive scholarly examination.^[15] While his arrangements continue to inspire Western swing enthusiasts, full explorations of his cinematic roles as a fiddler and stuntman remain underdeveloped compared to his peers.^[21]

Discography

Key Singles and Hits

Spade Cooley's breakthrough single, "Shame on You," released in 1945 (recorded December 1944) on Okeh Records, topped the Billboard country charts for two months and marked the start of an unbroken string of six Top Ten hits.^[36]^[37] Featuring lead vocals by Tex Williams alongside novelty interjections from band members Oakie and Arkie, the song's blend of fiddle-driven western swing and heartfelt lyrics about romantic betrayal captured widespread radio play and propelled Cooley's orchestra to national prominence.^[38] This hit exemplified Cooley's role in popularizing western swing during the 1940s, a genre fusing country, jazz, and big-band elements that resonated with post-World War II audiences seeking upbeat dance music.^[8] Following "Shame on You," the 1945 single "A Pair of Broken Hearts" reached number eight on the Billboard country charts. Cooley's 1946 release "Detour," on Columbia Records, reached number two on the Billboard country charts, further solidifying his commercial success.^[36] With vocals again by Tex Williams, Arkie, and Oakie, the track's melancholic narrative of life's missteps, delivered over swinging rhythms, became a staple in western swing repertoires and highlighted Cooley's ability to craft emotionally resonant songs that boosted the genre's radio airtime and live performance appeal.^[39] Its chart performance underscored the growing popularity of Cooley's sound, which helped western swing transition from regional Texas-Oklahoma scenes to broader American entertainment.^[8] That same year, "Three Way Boogie" peaked at number ten. Other notable 1940s singles, such as "You Can't Break My Heart" (number three in 1946) and "Crazy 'Cause I Love You" (number five in 1947), continued this momentum, each showcasing Cooley's fiddle prowess and collaborative vocal arrangements that emphasized the genre's lively, ensemble-driven style.^[36] These recordings, often backed by his Western Dance Band, contributed to western swing's cultural ascent by dominating jukebox and radio play in the Southwest, where Cooley's high-energy performances at venues like the Beverly Hills Ballroom drew massive crowds and influenced emerging country acts.^[37] Through these hits, Cooley earned the moniker "King of Western Swing," cementing the genre's place in mid-20th-century American music.^[8]

Albums and Compilations

Spade Cooley's album output during his active career was limited compared to his extensive singles discography, primarily consisting of 10-inch LPs and 78 rpm sets that captured his Western swing style for dance audiences. His earliest full-length release, Sagebrush Swing, issued in May 1949 on Columbia Records as a 10-inch LP (HL-9007), compiled seven of his recent hits and instrumentals, including "Shame on You," "Oklahoma Stomp," and "Steel Guitar Rag," reflecting his shift toward a more polished, brass-infused sound after replacing steel guitars with horns in his orchestra.^[40]^[41] This album marked one of the first country LPs in the format, emphasizing upbeat polkas and rags suited for square dancing.^[42] In the 1950s, Cooley continued releasing material through major labels, beginning with RCA Victor from 1947 to 1950, where he produced square dance sets like the three-disc 78 rpm album Square Dances (P-249, 1949), featuring traditional calls over fiddle-driven tracks.^[41] He then moved to Decca Records in 1950, yielding the 10-inch LP Country and Western Dance-O-Rama #3 (DL-5563, October 1955), a collection of lively instrumentals such as "Sparkling Silver Bells," "Charmaine," and "Down by the Pecos," designed for radio transcription and dance programs.^[41] Later in the decade, independent labels like Raynote issued Fidoodlin' Spade Cooley—King of Western Swing (RS-5007, 1959), a full LP of polkas and swing adaptations including "Willow Springs," "Poly Tail Polka," and "Swingin' the Blue Danube," which was reissued multiple times, highlighting his enduring appeal in niche markets.^[41] These releases were produced in Hollywood studios, often with Cooley's full orchestra, and focused on live-performance energy rather than studio polish. Following Cooley's death in 1969, posthumous compilations revived interest in his catalog, with the 1970s seeing reissues on boutique labels like Club of Spade, which specialized in his transcribed radio and TV show recordings. A notable example is The Best of the Spade Cooley Transcribed Shows, Vol. 1 (Club of Spade #00101, 1978), featuring tracks like "Swingin' the Devil's Dream," "Wabash Cannon Ball," and "Shame, Shame on You," drawn from 1940s broadcasts to capture his band's improvisational flair.^[41] Other 1970s volumes on the label, such as The King of Western Swing, Vol. 2 (1978) and The King of Western Music, Vol. 3 (1978), compiled similar live material, including "Arkansas Traveler" and "San Antonio Rose," emphasizing his fiddle work and big-band arrangements. These efforts were produced by enthusiasts preserving Cooley's pre-incarceration output from Columbia, RCA Victor, and Decca sessions. In the digital era, major labels and archival imprints have issued comprehensive collections, often remastering original masters for CD and streaming. Columbia's Spadella! The Essential Spade Cooley (CK-57392, 1994) stands out as a 20-track retrospective of his 1940s hits, with production overseen by Sony Music and including detailed liner notes on his orchestra's evolution; key tracks encompass "Troubled over You," "Detour," "Forgive Me One More Time," and "Three Way Boogie."^[41] Similarly, Collectors' Choice Music released King of Western Swing (CCM039-2, 1997), a live-oriented compilation with tracks like "Bile That Cabbage Down," "Steel Guitar Rag," and "Hillbilly Fever," sourced from radio transcriptions and highlighting Cooley's comedic routines between songs.^[41] These modern editions have made his work accessible beyond vinyl collectors, often bundling rare alternates from his Columbia and RCA Victor eras.

References

[1]
Cooley, Donnell Clyde | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and ...
Sometimes called "the King of Western Swing," "Spade" Cooley was born Donnell Clyde Cooley on December 17, 1910, in Grand, Oklahoma. Part Cherokee and third ...
[2]
Spade Cooley papers, 1940-1970 - OAC
Donnell “Spade” Cooley was an American actor, television personality, and Western swing big band leader and musician. Born in Oklahoma, 1910, Cooley was ...
[3]
Spade Cooley - Hollywood Walk of Fame
Donnell Clyde Cooley, better known as Spade Cooley, was an American Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality.Missing: biography | Show results with:biography
[4]
Spade Cooley, Musician, Dies; Jailed for Murdering His Wife
... prison where he had been since his 1961 conviction for the murder of his wife, Ella Mae, at their ranch in Kern County. He was sched- uled for parole Feb ...
[5]
California Medical Facility was first prison hospital
Jan 25, 2016 · On April 3, 1961, his wife's battered body was found in their ranch home. Cooley was convicted of her murder and was sentenced to life in prison ...
[6]
Spade Cooley (1910-1969) - Find a Grave Memorial
Musician. He is best remembered as the "King of Western Swing" during the heyday of Western music in the late 1940s and early 1950s.Missing: origin | Show results with:origin<|separator|>
[7]
https://books.google.com/books?id=sh0HTBJ1U80C
[8]
Spade Cooley - Cowtown Birthplace of Western Swing Festival
Feb 14, 2025 · Donnell Clyde Cooley (December 17, 1910 - November 23, 1969), better known as "Spade" Cooley, was an American Western Swing musician, big band leader, actor, ...Missing: biography | Show results with:biography<|control11|><|separator|>
[9]
Spade Cooley Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor... - AllMusic
Spade Cooley (followed by 5 users) ; Active. 1930s - 1960s ; Born. December 17, 1910 in Grand, OK ; Died. November 23, 1969 in Oakland, CA ; Genre. Country ; Styles.
[10]
Country and Western Music Reissues - jstor
period, including "Shame On You" (which reached no. 1 on the charts in 1945), "Detour" (no. 2 in 1946), "You Can't Break My Heart" (no. 3 in 1946), and ...Missing: copies | Show results with:copies<|separator|>
[11]
78 RPM - Spade Cooley - Detour / You Can't Break My Heart ... - 45cat
These were Spade Cooley's second and third best chart entries. "Detour", a cover of Jimmy Walker's original, made it to #2 on Billboard's C&W (Most-Played ...
[12]
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music - COOLEY, Spade
He played with bands at Venice Pier Ballroom (Venice CA), started his own ... He had a popular radio show; his 25-piece band had Tex Williams as ...Missing: broadcasts | Show results with:broadcasts
[13]
Spade Cooley & the Western Swing Dance Gang - Last.fm
One of the groups which played at the Venice Pier Ballroom in Venice, California, was led by Jimmy Wakely with Spade Cooley on fiddle. Several thousand ...
[14]
Spade Cooley...From KTLA, to KTTV, To the Prison at Vacaville
Feb 27, 2003 · Spade Cooley, “King of Western Swing,” brought his bandleading, singing and fiddling to KTLA, Channel 5, on Thursday, Aug. 5, 1948.Missing: format reach
[15]
A swing king reemerges - Los Angeles Times
Jul 9, 2005 · Just a year later, at age 51, he sat in a cell in Vacaville prison, serving a life sentence for the murder of his 37-year-old wife, Ella Mae.
[16]
Western Swing - Acoustic Music
### Summary of Spade Cooley's TV Show
[17]
Spade Cooley - The Old Corral
Billing himself as the "King of Western Swing", Cooley had hits such as "Steel Guitar Rag", and "Oklahoma Stomp" (Joaquin Murphey on steel guitar). Spade's ...Missing: informal | Show results with:informal
[18]
Ella Mae Evans (1925–1961) - Ancestors Family Search
She married Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley Sr. on 9 December 1945, in Clark, Nevada, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter.
[19]
Spade Cooley - Apple Music
The product of a multi-generational family of fiddle players, Donnell Clyde Cooley was born in Oklahoma in 1910, and at the age of four, his family moved to ...Missing: childhood Cherokee heritage Chemawa School
[20]
Ella Mae Evans Cooley (1923-1961) - Memorials - Find a Grave
Ella Mae Evans Cooley, 29 Nov 1923, Newton County, Missouri, USA, 3 Apr 1961 (aged 37), Willow Springs, Kern County, California, USA, Oakdale Memorial Park.
[21]
Spade Cooley: Western Swing's Killer Cowboy - The Real Easy Ed
Apr 26, 2019 · Spade Cooley was an actor and singing cowboy who pioneered Western Swing and had a hit TV show in Los Angeles. And then he killed his wife.
[22]
CR003 - The Murder Ballad of Spade Cooley | Cocaine & Rhinestones
Nov 7, 2017 · Spade Cooley came to California in the early 1930s, as poor as ... Spade's father played fiddle at local dances and he hoped his son ...
[23]
THE WIFE & DEATH OF SPADE COOLEY, HOLLYWOOD'S KING ...
Aug 8, 2018 · “Spade” Cooley was a virtuoso fiddler and Roy Rogers' movie stand-in, who had six consecutive Top 10 hits and was considered Hollywood's King of Western Swing.
[24]
People v. Cooley - Justia Law
The defendant, Donnell Cooley, known as Spade Cooley in the amusement world, was convicted by a jury of murder in the first degree for the killing of his wife, ...
[25]
Charged with Murder — Spade Cooley - Crime Library
At trial in Bakersfield, prosecutor Nelson called 24 witnesses, including Melody Cooley, who bravely recounted the murder of her mother. Spade Cooley fainted at ...
[26]
Bakersfield's trial of the century: The talented and tormented Spade ...
Jun 12, 2015 · Cooley murdered his wife in their East Kern County home in an hours-long rage witnessed by the couple's teenage daughter. Photo courtesy of ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[27]
RolandNote.com
Jul 10, 1961, Spade Cooley's murder trial, in which he's accused of killing his wife, begins in Kern County, California. He's sentenced to ...
[28]
“Murder!” he says: The Spade Cooley Story | by Fred Bals | Medium
Jan 27, 2020 · It was in Modesto, California that Donnell Clyde Cooley picked up his nickname, drawing a flush three times during an all-night poker game — ...
[29]
Western Swing | Country Music Project - DWRL WordPress
Feb 25, 2015 · He was a talented musician that played and produced a unique jazz influenced sound. Mixed with the rest of the Musical Brownies it was a melody ...
[30]
[PDF] Western Swing
below the lead to simulate a saxophone-trombone effect; Spade Cooley, an Okla- homan who had a popular California band, used arrangements which voiced the ...<|separator|>
[31]
Western Swing | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
However, the Spade Cooley orchestra, one of the renowned Western-swing ensembles, always used arrangements and rarely improvised. However, Bob Wills and His ...
[32]
[PDF] Making Western Swing - JEWLScholar@MTSU
It is Phillips who is credited with coining the actual term “Western Swing,” to advertise his client, the famed musician Spade Cooley around. 1942 (Wyeth). Like ...
[33]
The Jazz of the Southwest: An Oral History of Western Swing - Jean ...
In this book, Jean A. Boyd explores the origins and development of western swing as a vibrant current in the mainstream of jazz. She focuses in particular ...
[34]
Cary Ginell | Milton Brown and the Founding of Western Swing
Ginell sees Brown as the first key figure to merge blues, jazz, and country into the genre that artists like Bob Wills and Spade Cooley later popularized as ...
[35]
Spade Cooley - Wikipedia
Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley (December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969) was an American Western swing musician, big-band leader, actor, and television ...
[36]
Spade Cooley - Disgraceland
Disgraceland is a podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. It melds music history, true crime and transgressive fiction.<|separator|>
[37]
http://www.rocky-52.net/chanteursc/cooley_s.htm
[38]
https://www.musicvf.com/song.php?title=Shame+on+You+by+Spade+Cooley&id=95343
[39]
https://www.musicvf.com/song.php?title=Detour+by+Spade+Cooley&id=95346
[40]
https://www.discogs.com/release/7546605-Spade-Cooley-And-His-Orchestra-Sagebrush-Swing
[41]
http://countrydiscography.blogspot.com/2010/09/spade-cooley.html
[42]
Spade Cooley - Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies
Sep 3, 2010 · 'Down At The Cuckoo House' was renamed 'Lord Nottingham's War Dance'. 10 November 1947 [10:00-13:00] RCA Victor Studio, 1016 North Sycamore, ...Missing: history | Show results with:history
[43]
Sagebrush Swing - Spade Cooley | Album | AllMusic
Sagebrush Swing by Spade Cooley released in 1949. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.