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The song that built the LA Angels

By Craig Tyson Adams |
California Angels
California Angels / Robert Riger/GettyImages
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Jim Abbot and Gene Autry stand in the dugout
Jim Abbot and Gene Autry stand in the dugout / Ken Levine/GettyImages

Going way back in LA Angels history, well, all the way back; the beginning can be traced to one specific moment.

It was when the LA Angels founder went into a recording booth. 

Gene Autry started singing as a telegraph operator in the late 1920’s. It was a lonely job. He sang to pass the time.

When the showbusiness legend Will Rogers happened to hear Autry, he told him to go to New York. 

He gave the future LA Angels owner the names of a few contacts. 

After a few years of trying and succeeding to sing on the radio, Gene Autry headed to Hollywood to try out for the movies. He also kept recording songs. His movie career took off and he was known as the King of the Singing Cowboys. 

He recorded a number of country western songs, but where Autry really hit the mark was his recording of Christmas holiday songs. His all-time biggest seller was a tune called Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. 

Desert Lovers
Desert Lovers / Hulton Archive/GettyImages

The success of his movies and songs led future LA Angels founder and owner Gene Autry to diversify his businesses.

He bought a ranch in San Gabriel and turned it into his home and a movie location lot called Melody Ranch. 

There were comic books written about him.

Gene Autry also lent his name to toy manufacturing companies.

He also held prime real estate and invested in many high end hotels. Gene Autry even owned a minority share in the Hollywood Stars Minor League Baseball team. 

Autry had a popular television show, as well. That led him to purchase a television station and several radio stations. He formed Golden West Broadcasting and started KTLA-TV channel 5 in Los Angeles and flagship radio station KMPC-AM 710. 

It was because of his media holdings that led Autry to the 1960 Major League Baseball winter meetings, where the big topic was the first MLB expansion. 

California Angels
California Angels / Getty Images/GettyImages

Major League Baseball decided to expand the American League by two teams. The Washington Senators, which would be the replacement for the old Senators that moved to become the Minnesota Twins, and the LA Angels. 

Gene Autry originally went to the meetings to secure the rights to broadcast the games of the new LA Angels ballclub.

MLB was so impressed by the presentation that they offered the new ballclub to Gene Autry as the owner. 

After a bit of chaos that included suing Los Angeles Dodger owner Walter O’Mally, the LA Angels drafted their first player, pitcher Eli Grba of the New York Yankees on December 14th, 1960.

Next. 3 strengths for Angels post-lockout. dark

It’s been said that Disneyland was built because of a cartoon mouse. It can also be said that the LA Angels was built because of a singing cowboy’s biggest selling song.

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