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Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye, dropped out of school because he was bullied and nearly turned down his first chance at a radio performance in 1931 due to stage fright.
That opportunity led to appearances with traveling country and western music acts and Rogers’ first recorded song, ” Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” with Sons of the Pioneers.
In 1937, Rogers got his first contract as an actor, along with his famous stage name. He graced the silver screen for over 50 years, spawning reams of action figures, games and comic books and he had the foresight to negotiate the contractual rights to all.
– Eve Lederman, The 100 Companies