One of the most beloved couples in country music history was Dale Evans and Roy Rogers. A husband-and-wife music and film duo known for their roles in western films and television shows, Evans and Rogers met in 1944 while they were both working on a film called “Hollywood Canteen” and were married a year later.
They had a strong partnership both on and off screen, and their love for each other was evident in their work. The couple faced a number of challenges in their personal and professional lives. One of their greatest heartbreaks was the death of their daughter, Robin, who died before the age of two from complications related to Down syndrome. Devastated by Robin’s loss, it profoundly impacted their lives. They went on to adopt three children, Debbie, John David “Sandy” and Mary “Dodie” Little Doe, a Native American. They also fostered a daughter, Marion, known as “Mimi,” from Scotland, whom they considered to be their adopted child as well.
In addition to the loss of Robin, Evans and Rogers also endured financial upheaval, especially as they began to establish their careers. They both came from humble beginnings and worked hard to make a name for themselves in the entertainment industry. They often had to take on multiple roles in order to make ends meet, and they struggled to balance their work and personal lives. Despite these challenges, Evans and Rogers remained committed to each other and their relationship. They supported and encouraged each other, and their love for each other helped them overcome difficulties and achieve both commercial success and financial security.
“I married Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys, and together we were known as the King and Queen of the West,” Evans said. “But to me, he was always just Rogers, the man I loved and trusted and who always stood by me.”
This quote was taken from Evans’s autobiography, Angel Unaware, which was published in 1953. In the book, Evans writes about her life, the loss of her baby daughter and her relationship with Rogers, including the highs and lows they experienced together.
Evans and Rogers appeared in a number of Western films together, including “The Cowboy and the Senorita,” “Don’t Fence Me In,” “My Pal Trigger” and “Under California Stars.” These films were popular in the 1940s and 1950s and helped to establish Evans and Rogers as iconic figures in the Western genre.
They also had a successful television series called “The Roy Rogers Show,” which aired from 1951 to 1957. The show featured Evans and Rogers as a married couple who lived on a ranch and solved mysteries and crimes.
In addition to their acting careers, Evans and Rogers also had a successful country music career, releasing a number of albums together, including “Happy Trails,” “Songs of the Pioneers,” and “Trail Dusters.” They also had a number of hit songs, including “Don’t Fence Me In,” “Happy Trails” and “You Are My Sunshine.”
Evans wrote many of the songs that she and Rogers performed together, and she often played a strong, independent female character in their films.
The home and ranch that Evans and Rogers shared was called the Double R Bar Ranch, located in Apple Valley, California. Purchased in the 1950s, it became their primary residence as well as a working ranch where they raised cattle and horses. The ranch was also a popular destination for tourists, who came to visit the Roy Rogers Museum, which was located on the property from 1967 until it moved to Victorville, California, in 1976, where it operated for 27 years. The museum featured exhibits about Evans’ and Rogers’s lives and careers, as well as a collection of Western memorabilia and artifacts.
In his autobiography, Happy Trails: Our Life Story, published in 1981, Rogers talked about the love and support Evans provided to him throughout their marriage and how she helped him navigate the ups and downs of his career.
“Evans has been the sunshine of my life,” Rogers said of Evans. “She has been my guiding star through the good times and the bad. I couldn’t have made it without her.”
The pair were married for more than 50 years until Rogers’s death in 1998. Evans passed away in 2001 at the age of 88. Their love story is remembered as one of the most enduring in the history of entertainment.
By Claudia Johnson