The King of Western Swing's rise from big band to murder conviction
In short: Spade Cooley was a pioneer of Western swing music, a Hollywood stuntman, and a television star who won local Emmys. Yet, his legacy is inextricably tied to a brutal 1961 murder that shocked the nation, leaving behind a complex portrait of fame, addiction, and violence.
Born in Oklahoma and raised in an Indian school, Donnell Clyde 'Spade' Cooley moved to California during the Dust Bowl. He earned his nickname after winning three consecutive poker hands with spades. By the early 1940s, he became a powerhouse in the Western swing scene at the Venice Pier Ballroom. He famously engaged in a 'battle of the bands' against Bob Wills in 1942, eventually claiming the title of 'King of Western Swing'—a term first used by his promoter, Forman Phillips, that same year.
Cooley's career was multifaceted. He appeared in 38 Western films, often as a stuntman or stand-in for Roy Rogers, and hosted a nationally broadcast variety show on KTLA-TV from 1948 to 1956. His music reached massive popularity; his 1944 recording 'Shame on You' topped the country charts for two months. However, his personal life spiraled into tragedy. In 1961, after a period of heavy drinking and mixing alcohol with Thorazine, Cooley murdered his second wife, Ella Mae Evans, at their home near Willow Springs.
The murder was captured in harrowing detail by their 14-year-old daughter, who was forced to witness the attack. Cooley was convicted of first-degree murder in August 1961. Despite his criminal record, his Hollywood connections led to a high-profile parole push by Governor Ronald Reagan. Cooley was granted parole in early 1970 but died of a heart attack in November 1969 while performing a benefit concert in Oakland. His star remains on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a permanent fixture of his complicated public persona.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Spade Cooley
- Also: Wikidata — Spade Cooley · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Spade Cooley's Western Swing Song Folio · CC0
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