Age, Biography and Wiki

Tex Ritter (Woodward Maurice Ritter) was born on 12 January, 1905 in Murvaul, Texas, U.S., is an American country singer (1905–1974). Discover Tex Ritter's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 69 years old?

Popular As Woodward Maurice Ritter
Occupation Singer · actor
Age 69 years old
Zodiac Sign Capricorn
Born 12 January 1905
Birthday 12 January
Birthplace Murvaul, Texas, U.S.
Date of death January 2, 1974
Died Place Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Nationality

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 12 January. He is a member of famous Soundtrack with the age 69 years old group.

Tex Ritter Height, Weight & Measurements

At 69 years old, Tex Ritter height is 5' 11" (1.8 m) .

Physical Status
Height 5' 11" (1.8 m)
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Who Is Tex Ritter's Wife?

His wife is Dorothy Fay (m. 1941)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Dorothy Fay (m. 1941)
Sibling Not Available
Children John Ritter, Tom Ritter

Tex Ritter Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Tex Ritter worth at the age of 69 years old? Tex Ritter’s income source is mostly from being a successful Soundtrack. He is from . We have estimated Tex Ritter's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Song of the Gringo (1936)$2,400
Trouble in Texas (1937)$2,400
Hittin' the Trail (1937)$2,400

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Timeline

1905

Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American Country music, a popular singer and actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John Ritter, grandsons Jason Ritter and Tyler Ritter, and granddaughter Carly).

He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Woodward Maurice Ritter was born on January 12, 1905, in Murvaul, Texas, to Martha Elizabeth (née Matthews) and James Everett Ritter.

He grew up on his family's farm in Panola County, Texas, and attended grade school in Carthage, Texas.

He attended South Park High School in Beaumont, Texas.

1922

After graduating with honors, he entered the University of Texas at Austin in 1922 to study pre-law and major in government, political science, and economics.

After traveling to Chicago with a musical troupe, he entered Northwestern Law School.

An early pioneer of country music, Ritter soon became interested in show business.

1928

In 1928, he sang on KPRC in Houston, Texas, a 30-minute program of mostly cowboy songs.

That same year, he moved to New York City and landed a job in the men's chorus of the Broadway show The New Moon (1928).

1931

He appeared as cowboy Cord Elam in the Broadway production Green Grow the Lilacs (1931), the basis for the musical Oklahoma! He also played the part of Sagebrush Charlie in The Round Up (1932) and Mother Lode (1934).

1932

In 1932, he starred in New York City's first broadcast Western, The Lone Star Rangers on WOR, where he sang and told tales of the Old West.

1933

Ritter wrote and starred in Cowboy Tom's Roundup on WINS in 1933, a daily children's cowboy program aired over two other East Coast stations for three years.

He also performed on the radio show WHN Barndance and sang on NBC Radio shows; and appeared in several radio dramas, including CBS's Bobby Benson's Adventures.

1936

In 1936, Ritter moved to Los Angeles.

His motion picture debut was in Song of the Gringo (1936) for Grand National Pictures.

He went on to appear in 70 movies as an actor, and 76 on movie soundtracks.

1944

In 1944, he scored a hit with "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You", which hit number one on the country chart and number 11 on the pop chart.

An article in the trade publication Billboard noted 14 years later that with that song, he "reached the style of rhythmic tune that would assure his musical stature".

1952

He attracted special attention in 1952 for his rendition of "The Ballad of High Noon" over the opening credits of the celebrated film High Noon, and later sang it at that year's Academy Awards ceremony, where it won Best Original Song.

Ritter's recording career was his most successful period.

He was the first artist signed with the newly formed Capitol Records.

In 1952 Ritter recorded "The Ballad of High Noon" for the film High Noon.

1953

He performed the track at the first televised Academy Awards ceremony in 1953, and it received an Oscar for Best Song that year.

When television began to compete with movies for American audiences, Ritter began to make appearances on the new medium following 71 straight movie appearances.

In 1953, he began performing on Town Hall Party on radio and television in Los Angeles.

1955

He made his national TV debut in 1955 on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee and was one of five rotating hosts for its 1961 NBC-TV spin-off, Five Star Jubilee.

1957

In 1957, he co-hosted Ranch Party, a syndicated version of the show.

1964

Ritter became one of the founding members of the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee, and spearheaded the effort to build the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum into which he was inducted in 1964.

1965

He moved to Nashville in 1965 and began working for radio station WSM and the Grand Ole Opry, earning a lifetime membership in the latter in 1970.

1970

In 1970, Ritter entered Tennessee's Republican primary election for United States Senate.

Despite high name recognition, he lost the nomination to United States Representative Bill Brock, who then defeated the incumbent Senator Albert Gore, Sr.

in the general election.

1974

Ritter had a heart attack and died in Nashville in 1974, ten days before his 69th birthday.

He was survived by his wife and two sons.

1977

Tex Ritter's son, John, became famous as an actor, playing Jack Tripper on the ABC sitcom Three's Company (1977–1984).

1980

In 1980, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

2003

In 2003, John died, at the age of 54, of an aortic dissection.

Because John was initially diagnosed as having a heart attack, and because aortic dissection is known to run in the families, the family now believes that Tex died of an aortic dissection rather than a heart attack.

For his contribution to the recording industry, Ritter has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6631 Hollywood Boulevard.