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12 Facts About Roy Rogers
Trigger was a key to his success.
When I was a kid, the big three TV westerns for kids were The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry. Initially, my favorite was The Lone Ranger, but I have to say looking back on these shows, none of them hold up particularly well. All three of the stars of those shows had a colorful history. I will start by taking a look back at Roy Rogers.
1: Roy Rogers’ real name was Leonard Franklin Slye.
You have to admit that Roy Rogers sounds more cowboyish than Leonard Slye. So, changing his name was a sly move on his part.
2: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans’ theme song, “Happy Trails” was written by Dale.
Part of the lyrics goes “Just sing a song, and bring the sunny weather.” Who knew it was that easy? Singing a song would be a lot cheaper than building a storm shelter.
3: Roy Rogers wasn’t the only member of the Rogers clan to change his name.
Rogers’ beautiful palomino, “Trigger,” was originally named “Golden Cloud.” Leonard Slye and his horse Golden Cloud doesn’t sound as westerny as Roy Rogers and his horse, Trigger.
