Radio and recordings

Radio and recordings
An amateur talent with the guitar and voice led to his performing at local dances. After an encouraging chance encounter with Will Rogers, he began performing on local radio in 1928 as Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy.

He signed a recording deal with Columbia Records in 1931. He worked in Chicago, Illinois, on the WLS (AM) radio show National Barn Dance for four years with his own show where he met singer/songwriter Smiley Burnette. In his early recording career Autry covered various genres, including a labor song, The Death of Mother Jones in 1931. But his first hit was in 1932 with That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine, a duet with fellow railroad man, Jimmy Long. Autry also sang the classic Ray Whitley hit Back in the Saddle Again, as well as many Christmas songs including Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, his own composition Here Comes Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman and probably his biggest hit ever, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Autry also owned the Challenge Records label. The label's biggest hit was Tequila by The Champs in 1958, which started the rock and roll instrumental craze of the late 1950's and early 1960's.