Raymond Otis Whitley (December 5, 1901 – February 21, 1979) was a country and western singer, songwriter, and actor, best known for writing the Western song "Back in the Saddle Again". His career in film lasted between 1936 and 1956.

Early life Whitley was born in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. He had traveled to New York where he became a construction worker on the Empire State Building and the George Washington Bridge.

Career Singing, music groups and live performance Whitley began his singing career in New York City, New York in 1930.

While working as a steelworker, he heard of an audition at a local radio station. He was hired as a pop singer and learned a few chords on a guitar to back himself. Soon he was backed by professional musicians, including the Frank Luther Trio.

He formed "The Range Ramblers" and began to broadcast on WMCA. He then traveled with the World's Championship Rodeo organization, under the ownership of Colonel Johnson, renaming his band "Ray Whitley and The Six Bar Cowboys." Whitley was skilled in the use of the stock whip and could remove a cigarette from a man's lips with a single stroke, using either hand.

Whitley recorded for several record labels, including Okeh, Apollo Records and Decca.

Development of the Gibson SJ-200 In 1937, Whitley had worked with Gibson on the production of the Gibson SJ-200 acoustic guitar, which was initially known as the "Super Jumbo". Whitley used his own time and money to design a guitar, which he took to Gibson. He explained the features and merits of the instrument, suggesting that by presenting them to other stars of the day, would result in really putting the Gibson name on the musical instrument map. As a result, Whitley was the first performer to own a Gibson SJ-200, which is on display in the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum. The SJ-200 has since become an American icon, and has been played by hundreds of different guitarists over the years.

Motion pictures In 1937, Whitley was signed by RKO Radio Pictures as a specialty performer in the studio's "B" westerns starring George O'Brien, and O'Brien's successor Tim Holt. RKO also gave Whitley a starring series of his own: 18 two-reel musical short subjects, produced between 1937 and 1942.

In the late 1950s, Whitley made appearances on the Roy Rogers TV specials, he also appeared in the feature film Giant starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean.

Whitley wrote the Western tune "Back in the Saddle Again". The song was first performed by him in the Western movie Border G-Man, in which he played the part of 'Luke Jones'. Gene Autry heard it and bought the song for a reported $200, making it his theme song. Whitley and Autry changed the order of the verse and chorus, and made a very slight change in the melody, resulting in the present popular version. It is one of the most recognized and recorded Western tunes in history.

Death and legacy Ray Whitley died on February 21, 1979, while en route to a fishing trip to Mexico with his son-in-law, Hal Bracken.

Whitley's original Gibson SJ-200 is on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville Tennessee. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1981 and, in 1996, Whitley was inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame.

Instruments Whitley also endorsed another Gibson made guitar, sold by the mail order house Montgomery Ward, under the house brand 'Recording King'. This guitar was marketed only in 1939, and featured the signature of Whitley on the headstock. 235 of these were made in mahogany, and 235 in rosewood. One of these instruments was the preferred guitar of American composer John Fahey, who recorded extensively on the instrument from 1969 until the mid-1970s. Fahey destroyed the guitar during a fight with his girlfriend and replaced it with a Martin D-76.

Gibson Shipping Ledgers show the following totals for the Montgomery Ward – Recording King Ray Whitley Jumbo Models:

Total of 147 – RK Ray Whitley Model No. 1027 (Rosewood back & sides, "bat wing" shaped bridge) Total of 170 – RK Ray Whitley Model No. 1028 (Mahogany back & sides, plain rectangle-style bridge)

Breaks down like this: 143 No. 1027s shipped in 1939 Only 4 No. 1027s shipped in 1940

115 No. 1028s were shipped in 1939 55 No. 1028s shipped in 1940

First shipment of 1027s – January 23, 1939 – Last: February 27, 1940, First shipment of 1028s – June 23, 1939 – Last: June 13, 1940

Filmography Feature films, featuring Ray Whitley Film Year Title Role Notes1936 King of the Royal Mounted Singer Uncredited1936 Hopalong Cassidy Returns Davis 1937 Hittin' the Trail Guitar Player 1937 The Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen Guitar Player 1937 The Old Wyoming Trail Singing cowhand Uncredited1938 Where the West Begins Singer / Henchman Uncredited1938 Rawhide Gehrig Party Guitarist Uncredited1938 Gun Law Sam McGee 1938 Border G-Man Luke Jones 1938 Painted Desert Steve 1938 The Renegade Ranger Happy 1939 Trouble in Sundown Andy 1939 Racketeers of the Range Ray Whitley 1940 Wagon Train Ned 1940 The Fargo Kid Johnny 1941 Along the Rio Grande 'Smokey' Ryan 1941 Robbers of the Range 1941 Cyclone on Horseback 1941 Six-Gun Gold 1941 The Bandit Trail 1941 Dude Cowboy 1942 Riding the Wind 1942 Land of the Open Range 1942 Come on Danger 1942 Thundering Hoofs 1944 Boss of Boomtown Corporal Clark 1944 Trigger Trail Gilroy 1944 Trail to Gunsight Barton, Cattle Buyer 1944 Riders of the Santa Fe Deputy Hank 1944 The Old Texas Trail Amarillo 1945 Hollywood and Vine Tex Uncredited1945 Beyond the Pecos Dan Muncie 1945 Renegades of the Rio Grande Tex Henry 1946 West of the Alamo Keno Wilson 1949 Gun Law Justice Ray – Guitar Player Uncredited1953 Calamity Jane Minor Role Uncredited1956 Giant Watts

Short subjects, starring Ray Whitley and His Six Bar Cowboys All produced and released by RKO Radio Pictures Film Year Title1937 Rhythm Wranglers 1938 A Buckaroo Broadcast1938 A Western Welcome 1938 Prairie Papas1939 Ranch House Romeo1939 Sagebrush Serenade1939 Cupid Rides the Range1939 Bandits and Ballads1940 Molly Cures a Cowboy1940 Corralling a Schoolmarm1940 Bar Buckaroos1941 Prairie Spooners1941 Red Skins and Red Heads1941 The Musical Bandit1941 California or Bust1942 Keep Shooting1942 Cactus Capers1942 Range Rhythm

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