I Toured with Gene Autry
by Alex Gordon

Representatives from the world's press covered the event, including reporters from Spain, Switzerland and Sweden, and Gene and Mrs. Autry charmed all the guests by their hospitality and friendliness. British newspapers referred to them as America's outstanding goodwill ambassadors.

Only three times in London's history has the traffic been stopped in Oxford Street, London's Broadway. The first time was the air raid on the world's biggest city, the second time was for the Coronation of the Queen, and the third time was our cowboy star riding Champion twenty blocks from historic Marble Arch down Oxford Street into Selfridge's, the world's largest department store.

18,000 people, controlled by police and Scotland Yard, stopped the traffic, and hundreds of busses, taxis and cars waited while Gene rode along the street amongst them, shaking hands with bus conductors, waving to the cheering crowds, and finally riding into the store, into the elevator, and up to the third floor, where thousands of kids and adults welcomed him to the Gene Autry Corral. Gene signed 8,759 autographs, books and pictures, and posed for three hours for countless photographs.

Gene appeared on more radio and television shows in England than any other American performer had ever done. And remember—there was only ONE television channel in England and ONE broadcasting station at the time—with three programs going out over different wavelengths. Gene's one hour TV show with Champion was so well liked that the producer let the show run overtime by half an hour—which was possible only in England where commercial TV was non-existent and, therefore, no sponsor was howling if a show ran over. Twelve million listeners saw and heard Gene on these programs.

Every night after the show, hundreds waited for hours at the stage door of the Empress Hall for Gene, and mobbed him when he entered his taxicab. It nearly always took at least an hour for him to sign all the autographs while he sat in the taxi, and books were passed to him through the window. But as the fans had come from as far as Scotland and the Continent he would not disappoint any of them, and kept signing until every single one of them was taken care of. Then they would cheer him goodnight.

Now something about the show itself. As it was not possible, due to the English laws, to present a rodeo in England, as this is considered cruelty to animals, Gene presented the next best thing—the top performers of the rodeo field in a snappy variety show. A twelve-piece orchestra in the pit started the program with an overture consisting of a medley of Gene's song hits. Then, to the introduction of "Howdy, Friends and Neighbors," sung by the cast, Gene galloped up a long ramp onto the stage on Champion, and introduced the acts.