Tex Fletcher

Geremino Bisceglia (January 17, 1909 in Harrison, New York - March 14, 1987 in Newburgh, New York), better known as Tex Fletcher, was a singing cowboy with credits as a recording artist, Broadway and movie actor, night club performer, and radio and television personality.

Early life

Born in Harrison, New York, Fletcher was the fifth of eight children born to Italian immigrants Michael (a stone mason) and Josephine Bisceglia. Tex left home in 1924 at age 15, and joined the Sells-Floto Circus which traveled across the US and Canada.

He settled in South Dakota where he learned to handle horse and cattle while soaking up cowboy lore and campfire songs, in effect becoming a 'real' cowboy. He returned to New York in the early 1930s and took a radio job as a singing cowboy on WFAS in White Plains, New York.

1930s

The 1930s proved a busy and productive time for Fletcher, as he landed on big-time radio, starred on Broadway, starred in two movies, toured the country as a soloist and with a group, played Madison Square Garden, landed a record deal with Decca (that lasted well into the 1950s) and performed for the President of the United States.

Fletcher began his performing career on New Jersey radio station WOR, and in 1938 joined the Grand National movie studio. In 1938, he appeared in his first film, "Down on the Barn," while he was an erstwhile member of famed hillbilly outfit, "Emerson's Mountaineers," and in 1939, "Six-Gun Rhythm"; however, Grand National went bankrupt upon the movie's release, and it received only limited distribution. Fletcher promoted the film by himself on a self-booked tour on the East coast of the U.S and Canada - the center of his popularity. He drove from town to town with his own 16mm print of "Six Gun Rhythm," custom made Martin D-42 guitar and his cowboy outfits in the back seat. He would perform a few songs, show the picture, sign autographs and then move on to the next town. He was occasionally accompanied by his friend and mentor, Tex Ritter.

Tex hit the trail running in 1934 as he landed the role of Cowboy Answer Man on WWOR, New Jersey, at the height of singing cowboy craze, replacing close friend and cowboy star, Tex Ritter (he remained with WWOR for more than 20 years, going off the air in 1957). After a run on Broadway in the production of "Howdy Stranger" in 1937, Tex became a member of popular radio hillbilly group, “Tom Emerson’s Mountaineers,” then broadcasting nationwide over WMCA and affiliates with whom he appeared in the Hollywood musical production of “Down on The Barn” in 1938 and toured the country. This initial movie appearance brought the handsome singer to the attention of Hollywood talent scouts looking for a fresh face to star in a new series of sagebrush musicals planned by Acadia Productions to be made by Grand National Pictures, again taking the place of Tex Ritter who had moved on to another studio.

Upon release of the series' first film "Six-Gun Rhythm", Grand National went belly-up, leaving the oater in limited distribution and its newest star in the lurch. Tex literallyFact|date=September 2008 "took the bull by the horns" and set out on a one-man promotional tour for the film of the Northeast US and Canada. Tex personally booked and traveled to each movie house, opening the showing with a couple of songs and then signing autographs for fans after the film was over. This action is what many believe to be the reason the B-Western has enjoyed such a long shelf life and has been held in such high esteem among collectors, as it would have otherwise been virtually unknown.

Post-war career

After several years of this promotional effort, Fletcher entered the United States Army during World War II, reaching the rank of Sergeant. Upon his return, he devoted his efforts to being a full-time musician, working in nightclubs, on WOR radio (coast to coast via the Mutual Network) and television (WABC, WNBC, WWOR). He was featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not as having the ability to recall from memory more than 4,000 songs. He recorded for numerous labels including ARC, Decca, Vocalion, Majestic, Montgomery Ward, Flint, SESAC, Waldorf Music, Grand Award and his own Dakota label.

Afterward, Tex had no desire to return to Hollywood and turned down all subsequent offers to continue the series from other movie production companies, and other offers to return to Hollywood - some of which continued into the 1980s - opting instead to focus on radio and live performances.

Fletcher was a prolific songwriter, having penned the cowboy classics, "The Lord is In The Saddle Tonight," "Tiperary (The Great Outlaw Horse)", "My Harding County Home," the closing theme to CBS television's "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock", and others. His songs were covered by Gene Autry, Ernest Tubb, Lawrence Welk, bluesman Magic Slim, blues duo Pistol Pete and Ron Hytower, and modern day cowboy/folklorist Glenn Ohrlin.

Personal life

At the end of the war, married Ada Mae Henkel B Sept. 27, 1924 – D September 9, 2003) of Yonkers, NY and started family - 5 children: Robert (1947-1999), Jayne, Kathy, George, and Michael. Returned to radio, nightclubs (prominent MC and entertainer at the Village Barn, Manhattan) and television (ABC, NBC, WOR). Last album, "Holiday Hootenanny" released 1964 on his own Dakota imprint.

He died in Newburgh, New York.

Trivia

* Left-handed guitarist, also deft handler of six shooter from the left side.
* The Village Barn was shuttered in the 1960s, but the building was purchased by another popular left-handed guitarist and transformed into one of the world's greatestFact|date=September 2008 recording facilities, Electric Lady Studios. The guitarist was Jimi Hendrix.
* Played only Martin Guitars during his long career. Although photographed by WWOR protographer in 1932 holding a right-handed Gibson L-14. In fact, Tex held the guitar both right-handed and left-handed for the camera.
* Co-designed the first D-42 Martin guitar as a special order in 1934. It was the only specimen of the guitar until shortly after his death when Martin released the model on a limited edition basis. It has since become a popular production model.
* Performed for then President and Mrs. Roosevelt at their Hyde Park, NY home in 1934. He dedicated his performance of "Home on the Range" to the President as it was his understanding that it was a favorite of the Chief Executive. It was later revealed that the song was not a particular favorite of Roosevelt's and that he had no particular fondness for country music at all, which resulted in not negative, but lots of positive press for the young entertainer.
* Appeared in first test broadcast of the National Broadcasting System (NBC-TV) in New York City.
* He joined ASCAP in 1950, and his chief musical collaborators were Leonard Whitcup, Richard Kuhn, Sam Benson and George Henkel.
* Tex Fletcher recorded for numerous labels including ARC (five songs, never released, steel mother discs were later melted during the "War Effort") Decca, Vocalion, Majestic, Montgomery Ward (re-releases of selected Decca sides, under the pseudonym, Tack Foster), Flint, SESAC, Waldorf Music, Grand Award and his own Dakota label.
* Over the years, Tex worked with artists such as Elton Britt, Rosalee Allen, Texas Jim Lewis, Wilf "Montana Slim" Carter, Zeb and Jody Carver, Shorty and Smokey Warren, Tex Ritter, Joe Rogers and many others of his generation's country music icons. His influence was cited by artists such as the aforementioned Glenn Ohrlin, former performing partner Joe Rogers and Western Swing artist Spade Cooley, who took Rogers in under his wing after the latter's tenure with Fletcher had passed.
* Tex co-starred on "The Bobby Benson Show" and "The Bobby Benson B-Bar-B Riders" radio and television programs for WWOR (Mutual Network) with Don Knotts.
* Tex was voted into the New York State Country Music Hall of Fame's "Hall of Honors" in 2003
* Tex's son, George, who was born in South Dakota (during a brief relocation by the Fletcher clan to the state from New York in the late 1950s), has followed in his father's bootsteps as a career musician who has also extensive recording and performance credits, and who has also hosted regional radio and television programs.

References

*All Movie Guide by Hans J. Wollstein, quoted at [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=23914 the NY Times]
* www.texfletcher.com
*

External links

* [http://www.texfletcher.com Official website] , run by Fletcher's son, George
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10037407 Tex Fletcher] at Find-A-Grave