Country Music News for the Country Music Enthusiast

Rex Allen Days, Willcox, Arizona
Story and Photos by Glenda S. Paradee

The 56th Annual Rex Allen Days and 9th Annual Western Film, Music & Cowboy Poetry Festival was held on Historic Railroad Avenue in downtown Willcox, Arizona on October 4th - 7th, 2007.

This was a fun family weekend with special events at the Rex Allen Museum Open House, a Cowboy Hall of Fame, Cowboy poetry, Rex Allen movies, cowboy music, a Rotary breakfast, worship service cowboy style and celebrity panel discussions.

Also, there was a special concerts by Rex Allen, Jr. with special guest star Lacy J. Dalton and featuring Cody & Logan Allen, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalex Jr. & Clifton Collins (Pedro's Grandson) and The Band "Arizona".

The Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum is organized as a series of exhibits, illustrating the life history of western film and music star Rex Allen. The museum features Rex growing up in Willcox with childhood pictures and his parents; his first guitar and fiddle, Chicago Radio Days were Rex got his start on The Chicago radio station WLS "National Barn Dance". Rex wrote the "Arizona Waltz" when he was 14 years old. Recording for Decca Records. The museum has a complete collection of Rex's records. Hollywood movies and posters and the clothing Rex wore in his movies. The suit Rex wore in the series, The Frontier Doctor is at the museum along with the original buggy used in the TV series. The museum has a new display of Rex Allen Jr. and a Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame.

The museum contains many, many items of interest. 

The Rex Allen Museum is located in one of Willcox's oldest commercial buildings. Constructed in the early 1890's of adobe, it was purchased in 1897 by Josef Schwertner and operated as the Schlkey Saloon from 1897-1919. The front of the Museum has been restored to resemble the original saloon storefront.

The Willcox-Rex Allen Theater next door was constructed in 1935, of art deco design. It was the location of early Rex allen Day's stage shows, and was the location of Rex allen Jr.'s singing debut. Roy Rogers also performed at the theater, early in his career. The building has been restored as a commercial theater, and is part of the Rex Allen Museum complex. Both the Theater and the Museum are on the National Register of Historic Places. 

You can also visit the larger than life bronze of Rex, created by Sculptor Buck McCain in the park across the street from the Museum. 

Rex Allen, the Arizona Cowboy, was a star of radio, television and movies. His popularity even extended to publication of a series of comic books. In the late 1960's and 70's, he became one of the most recognized voices in the entertainment industry. The rich baritone timbre of his voice was enhanced by a hypnotic cadence which captured and held all who heard him speak.

Rex Elvie Allen was born on the last day of December, 1920, on a ranch near Willcox, Arizona. He sang in the church choir and played his mail-order guitar at local parties and dances with his dad, who was a fiddle player. Though his career took him to the top of music charts and flashed his boy-next-door good looks across the silver screen, Rex stayed true to his Arizona roots. After his high school graduation, Allen had a brief career on Arizona radio but left to follow the rodeo circuit. In the early 1940's, he took a job as Cactus Rex, the singing cowboy, on a New Jersey radio station. His talent was noticed by the National Barn Dance. Airing on WLS, Chicago, the popular radio show was the turning point in his career.

Rex Allen had country/pop crossover hits on both Mercury (Sparrow in the Tree Top, 1951) and Decca (Crying in the Chapel, 1953). He released albums on JMI and Buena Vista (Disney) labels in the 1970's. Equally talented as a songwriter, Allen penned over 300 songs during his successful career.

In the 1940's, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry owned the 'singing cowboy' image. But in 1949, Rex and his horse KoKo easily claimed their share of fans. He was a top-ten box office draw for Republic Pictures until the era faded into history. In 1954, with the release of the movie, Phantom Stallion, Rex Allen became the "Last of the Silver Screen Cowboys". It was Disney studios who introduced Rex Allen's woice to millions of television viewers as the narrator for its Wonderful World of Color; nature series. Who could forget The Legend of Lobo (1962) or Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar (1967)? Allen went on to become the voice of 150 Disney cartoon characters. Voice recognition made him a natural for commercials, most notable Ford, Tony Lama Boots and Purina Dog Chow.

Allen's son, Rex Allen Jr., has had his own successful career as a songwriter, singer and television personality. His song, Arizona, is a favorite of the state's residents. Rex Allen has been inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame, received the prestigious Golden Boot award and was a charter member of the Western Music Association. Disney presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for narration excellence. The motion picture industry honored him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the movie industry. 

Rex Allen passed away on December 17, 1999. At his request, his ashes were scattered around the larger than life bronze sculpture of Rex and the grave of his beloved horse KoKo in Railroad Avenue Park in Willcox, AZ across from the Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum. 

The Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum is operated solely through museum memberships, donations, special fund railing events, museum admissions and gift shop sales. Visitors are invited to become MEMBERS of the Rex Allen Museum. Ask the museum volunteer fo a memberhip form. Memberships, tapes, CD's, DVD's and gift show items can be ordered by phone or internet.

Also coming soon to Willcox, The Marty Robbins Museum. 

Contact information: 

Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum 
150 N. Railroad Ave. 
Willcox, AZ 85643 
520-384-4583 or 520-877-4111 
Toll Free: 877-234-4111 
www.rexallenmuseum.org
Email: info@rexallenmuseum.org

Rex Allen Jr	Glenda S. Paradee and  Lacy J. Dalton	Rex allen Jr. with his sons	Rex Allen Days 2007
Lacy J. Dalton	Rex Allen Days 2007	Rex Allen Days 2007	Rex Allen Days 2007
Rex Allen Jr	Rex Allen Jr	Rex Allen Jr	Lacy J. Dalton

 

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