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THE WIFE & DEATH OF SPADE COOLEY, HOLLYWOOD’S KING OF WESTERN SWING

“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. He was also a mean, jealous, paranoid, violent, alcoholic man who brutally murdered his wife in front of their daughter.

by Burt Kearns & Jeff Abraham

Donnell Clyde Cooley got the nickname “Spade” in his younger days, after he drew three consecutive hands of spades, one a straight flush, during a hot poker streak. Born one-quarter Cherokee in 1910, a decent boxer and virtuoso fiddler since he was a boy, Spade Cooley made his way from the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma to sunny California with his wife and son during the Great Depression.

Spade showed up at the gates of Republic Pictures in Studio City in 1934. He had his fiddle in his hand and six cents in his pocket. Cowboy movie star Roy Rogers gave him a job. Spade played with Roy’s Sons of the Pioneers western singing group and worked for three years as Roy

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Donnell Clyde Cooley (December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969), better known as Spade Cooley, was an American Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality. His career ended in 1961 when he was arrested and convicted for the murder of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans.[1]

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Music career 1.2 Murder of Ella Mae Evans 1.3 Death

2 In popular culture

Biography[]

"Spade" Cooley was born Donnell Clyde Cooley on December 17, 1910, in Grand, Oklahoma. Being part Cherokee, he was sent to the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon to be educated. Around 1930 his family fled the Dust Bowl for California.[2]

Music career

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 dancers would turn out on Saturday night to swing and hop. "The hoards (sic) of people and jitterbuggers loved him." When Wakely got a movie contract at Universal, Cooley replaced him as bandleader.[3]

To capitalize on the pioneering success of the Bob Wills–

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Spade Cooley

Donnell Clyde Cooley (December 17, 1910 - November 23, 1969), better known as "Spade" Cooley, was an American Western Swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality. He was a virtuoso fiddler and Roy Rogers' look-a-like stand-in, who had six consecutive Top 10 hits and considered himself Hollywood's King of Western Swing His career abruptly ended in 1961 when he was arrested and convicted for the brutal murder of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans.

Cooley was born in Grand, Oklahoma. Being one-quarter Cherokee, he was sent to the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon to be educated. His family was dirt poor and in 1930 moved to California during the Dust Bowl. He got the nickname "Spade" in his younger days, after he drew three consecutive hands of spades, one a straight flush, during a hot poker streak. Cooley was also an accomplished boxer in his mid-teenage years.

Spade showed up at the gates of Republic Pictures in Studio City, California in 1934. He had his fiddle in hand and six cents in his pocket. Cowboy movie star Roy Rogers gave hi