Roy Rogers Net Worth - Pulptastic

Publish date: 2024-05-06

What was Roy Rogers’ Net Worth?

Roy Rogers, the American actor and singer, had a net worth of $80 million at the time of his death in 1998. That’s equivalent to $150 million today, adjusted for inflation.

Rogers was a popular Western star who appeared in more than 100 films, radio, and television series. He also had his own show, “The Roy Rogers Show,” which aired on NBC in the 1950s. Often appearing alongside his wife Dale Evans, his sidekick George “Gabby” Hayes, his palomino horse Trigger, and his German Shepherd Bullet, Rogers left a lasting legacy in the entertainment industry.

Roy Rogers Early Life

Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye on November 5, 1911 in Cincinnati, Ohio, moved with his family on a houseboat to Portsmouth, where they bought land for the construction of a house. The Great Flood of 1913 forced the family to live in their houseboat. Later, in 1919, they moved to a farm near Lucasville where Rogers developed his singing and yodeling skills by hosting square dances for the neighbors. Rogers left high school to help his father at a shoe factory in Cincinnati, before moving to California to stay with his older sister Mary. The family eventually settled down in California in 1930.

Roy Rogers’ Early Career

Rogers drove gravel trucks for a construction company in California after moving there. He later picked peaches for Del Monte in Tulare.

His music career began when he performed on the “Midnight Frolic” radio show in Inglewood and joined the country music group the Rocky Mountaineers.

Roy Rogers’ Early Music Career

Roy Rogers and Tim Spencer performed with several short-lived groups in the early 1930s before joining Jack LeFevre and His Texas Outlaws. In 1933, Rogers reunited with Spencer and Bob Nolan to form the Pioneers Trio. The group added fiddle player Hugh Farr the following year and became the Sons of the Pioneers. They gained popularity nationwide through radio segments and signed with Decca Records, recording 32 songs including “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “Cool Water.”

Roy Rogers’ Acting Career

Roy Rogers was a prolific film actor throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, becoming one of the most iconic Western stars in Hollywood and the most popular singing cowboy next to Gene Autry. Most of his early films were directed by Joseph Kane, with many co-starring George “Gabby” Hayes.

In the first half of the 1940s, Rogers starred in several films alongside Dale Evans, who would become his wife. Rogers continued his prolific acting career throughout the latter half of the 1940s and into the early 1950s, with most of his films now being directed by William Witney and featuring the palomino horse Trigger.

Notable credits include “Utah,” “Song of Arizona,” “My Pal Trigger,” “Out California Way,” “Apache Rose,” “Eyes of Texas,” “Susanna Pass,” “The Golden Stallion,” “Bells of Coronado,” “Trail of Robin Hood,” and “In Old Amarillo.” Later, in 1975, Rogers made his final film appearance in “Mackintosh and T.J.”

Roy Rogers’ TV Career

Roy Rogers had his own Western television series, “The Roy Rogers Show,” where he starred alongside his wife Dale Evans. The series originally ran as a radio program before airing on NBC from 1951 to 1957. They sang the famous theme song “Happy Trails.” The couple reunited on the small screen in 1962 for “The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show.” Rogers made guest appearances on “Wonder Woman,” “The Muppet Show,” and “The Fall Guy.”

Roy Rogers’ Personal Life

Rogers was married four times throughout his life. His first marriage to Lucile Ascolese ended in divorce in 1936. He then married Grace Wilkins, who he met on a radio station call, and the couple adopted a daughter named Cheryl and had two biological children, Linda and Roy Jr. Wilkins passed away during the birth of Roy Jr. in 1946.

The following year, Rogers married actress and singer Dale Evans, who he had met on the set of a film. The couple became well known for their charity work on behalf of disadvantaged children and also adopted several children themselves. They lived on ranches in the San Fernando Valley and Apple Valley.

Rogers passed away from heart failure at the age of 86 in 1998. His wife Dale passed away a few years later, and they are both buried at Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Apple Valley, California.

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