Gene (Lucas) Austin

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Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. It's a rough draft and needs to be edited.

Birth

ID: 5185852555823209EE840F24A024E232

ID Number: MH:IF2082

24 JUN 1900

Gainesville, Texas

Death

Y

ID: 518585255592820A0E840F24A024E232

ID Number: MH:IF2083

24 JAN 1972

Palm Springs, California

ID Number: MH:SC2411

@N971@

Record ID Number

ID Number: MH:I757

User ID

ID: 5185852555C9220A5E840F24A024E232

Adoption

ID: 518585255595A20A1E840F24A024E232

ID Number: MH:IF2084

legally by James Austin

ID Number: MH:SC2409

Lawrence Eugene Lucas Austin

15 NOV 2012

@N972@

Added by confirming a Smart Match

Note

@N973@

@N974@

Sources

• Source: S1 Record ID Number: MH:S1 User ID: 51858526B8C412A89E840F24A024E232 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Repository: #R1 Record ID Number: MH:SC2410 Page: Ancestry Family Trees Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=51056604&pid=757
• Repository: R1 Record ID Number: MH:R1 User ID: 51858526B8BB02A87E840F24A024E232 Name: Ancestry.com

Notes

N971Age: 71

ID Number: MH:N990

MH:SC2411

N972Event: Smart Matching Role: 2003245

ID Number: MH:N991

MH:SC2409

N973Biography

A singer and composer who came rambling out of Texas at the beginning of the 20th century, Gene Austin is best-known for his "My Blue Heaven," one of the most popular records of all

time. He was born Eugene Lucas, but later took on his stepfather Jim Austin's surname, coming of age in a series of Louisiana small towns. Austin was all of 15 when he joined the Army, participating

in the dangerous expedition to capture Pancho Villa in 1916. As if that wasn't enough, he also served in France during World War I, a conflict that many participants returned from with more than just

slight scratches. Austin studied both dentistry and law in Baltimore, somehow passing up both careers in order to pursue his passion for singing. This was an interest he took on totally instinctively.

He wound up composing more than 100 songs without ever learning to read or properly notate music. His singing style was remarkably influential, as well as attractive; Austin pursued a lighter and mor

e personable approach than had been common among the male pop singers who preceded him, well-suited to radio and to early microphone pickups. The sound of his tenor voice became well-known in the earl

y days of radio and the antique phonographs of the '20s and '30s. From 1926 to 1929 Austin was an exclusive recording artist for Victor, and his 1927 “My Blue Heaven” and 1928 “Ramona” were im

mensely popular records; though sales figures cited are frequently inflated, “Ramona” may have sold in the range of a million copies. “My Blue Heaven”, however, is viewed in retrospect as a de

finitive rendering of the tune, and has been utilized in the soundtracks of numerous movies, including Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). Austin had both the pull and taste to insist, for at least one chunk

of his recording career, that only Fats Waller was good enough to provide piano accompaniment for him, and no one else.

&nbsp

Austin's recording career started up in 1923, gaining moment

um the following year when producer Jimmy McHugh took on the assignment of "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street," which would be the first of a series of hits for the team. Irving Mills was Austin's l

yricist for this number, which would be followed by other smash sides such as "My Melancholy Baby," "Girl of My Dreams," "Carolina Moon," and "Sleepy Time Gal." By the early '30s, the movies were beck

oning, but in this field, Austin created only a small crop of three films, the best of which was Gift of Gab. Austin performed regularly on radio as well as live. In 1939, he toured with Billy Wehle i

n a traveling music and comedy show that set up in a tent. Following a few years as a nightclub performer, his career began to falter, only to be revived by a late-'50s television special. After this,

he was back in nightclubs and began writing a new series of original songs. Las Vegas was his home base through all of these ups and downs. In 1962, he ran for governor of Nevada but was tromped by i

ncumbent Grant Sawyer. As would befit a crooner, or perhaps not, Austin enjoyed five different marriages. He only stopped writing songs in the final ten months of his life, after developing lung cance

r. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi

&nbsp

Birth: Jun. 24, 1900

Death: Jan. 24, 1972

&nbsp

Crooner, Composer and Politician. His singing style was remarkably influential, at

tractive and appealing to millions. Gene Austin's vocal sound became known as crooning (performing in a soft low voice) during his singing in the 20's and 30's. Some very successful imitators that fol

lowed...Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Russ Columbo. He was born Lemeul Eugene Lucas in Gainesville, Texas to parents Nova Lucas and Serena Belle Harrell but grew up in Louisiana. A blacksmith step-fa

ther, Jim Austin would enter his life and he would assume his surname. Gene worked with his step-dad as a teenager in his blacksmith shop becoming proficient in shoeing and handling horses. At 17, he

enlisted in the army and was assigned to the cavalry serving in Mexico with the PanchoVilla Expedition which netted him the Mexican Service Medal. His army stint extended to World War I with assignmen

t overseas to France. In the postwar, an attempt to become a dentist was short lived. His future career was defined in Houston, when on a dare, while attending a vaudeville act where the audience was

given an opportunity to participate, he took the stage and in a clear tenor voice rendered a song which brought down the house. His only training in music was as a juvenile, when a member of a Souther

n Baptist choir. The vaudeville company responded with a job offer leading to a career which would span some forty years. His popularity peeked in the late1920's and continued through the 30's while w

orking various nightclubs and featured on radio during its early pioneer days. His RCA Victor recordings were sold by the millions and fans hand-cranked their phonograph players to listen to the clums

y 78 RPM discs. He composed over a hundred songs and his most notable and recognized..."When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" "How Come You Do Me Like You Do?" and "Lonesome Road." Gene introduced many

hit tunes...his most famous, a twelve million seller, "My Blue Heaven" and a few more, "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" "My Melancholy Baby" "Girl of My Dreams" "Ramona" "Carolina Moon" and "Sle

epy Time Gal." Gene had a modest film career debuting in 1931 with appearances in three credited movies..."Sadie McKee" "Gift of Gab" and "Melody Cruise." His career waned in 1939 but had one last hoo

ray while working with Billy Wehle in a traveling tented musical-comedy show and upon closing had a few years more as a nightclub performer then simply disappeared until 1950. His life was dramatized

in a television special which rejuvenated his career. He continued as a nightclub entertainer while continuing to write songs until his death from lung Cancer at Desert Hospital in Palm Springs. Inter

red at forest Lawn, Glendale and on his mausoleum crypt is a plaque with an epitaph noting his top song..."There's a new Blue Heaven in the sky, where love and friends will never die." Legacy...He spe

nt most of his adult life living in Las Vegas but retired to Palm Springs in the early 60's. Gene Austin was busy with politics. In Nevada, an attempt at the governorship in 1962 ended in failure. Aga

in, he was active in Riverside County, California serving on various county civil boards almost to the day of his death. A bibliography entitled "Austin Americans" was published in 1972. Gene Austin w

as posthumously awarded a "Grammy Hall of Fame Award" for his 1928 recording of "Bye, Bye, Blackbird" and in 2005 was nominated and admitted to the Grammy Hall of Fame. (bio by: Donald Greyfield)

Legally adopted by mother's second husband James Austin: He was called Gene Austin.

A popular singer and songwriter in the 1920's and 30's. Over 86 million of his recordings were sold. He wa

s known as the first of the sweet singers.

Married 1. Kathryn ? Div.

Married 2. Agnes ? Div.

Married 3. Doris Sherrill Div.

Married 4. Lou ? Div.

Married 5. UnKnown.

Legally adopted by mother's second husband James Austin: He was called Gene Austin.

A popular singer and songwriter in the 1920's and 30's. Over 86 million of his recordings were sold. He was known as the first of the sweet singers.

Married 1. Kathryn ? Div.

Married 2. Agnes ? Div.

Married 3. Doris Sherrill Div.

Married 4. Lou ? Div.

Married 5. UnKnown.

ID Number: MH:N992

MH:I757

N974Gene Austin (born Lemeul Eugene Lucas)

http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=89e46b3a-c5bc-4884-a011-cfc2456e357d&tid=51056604&pid=757

ID Number: MH:N993

MH:I757

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Duane Hearrell for creating WikiTree profile Austin-2500 through the import of 103.GED on May 26, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Duane and others.