Trivia

Singer, father of John Ritter.

Grandfather of Jason Ritter.

He was the son of Martha Elizabeth (Matthews) and James Everett Ritter. His spouse, Dorothy Fay, was his leading lady in many of his western features.

Perhaps best remembered for his haunting vocalization of the theme song in Le train sifflera trois fois (1952).

In 1970, he ran unsuccessfully in Tennessee for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

Veteran character actor Morgan Woodward's uncle, Dr. S. A. Woodward, lived in the San Angelo, Texas area. One day, he was called to help in the birth of a male child. The family, not knowing what gender was expected, had not chosen a name, so in honor of the good doctor's service, they named him Woodward Ritter. Later, he would be known more widely as "Tex" Ritter.

Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter came from a long line of Texas horsemen. His grandfather Benjamin Franklin Ritter (1834-1902) was a Confederate officer (2nd lieutenant) in Company F the 37th Texas Cavalry (Terrel's) during the War between the States. Benjamin saw action in the saddle in Texas and Louisiana.

His horse in his earlier movies was called White Flash.

Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1964.

Buried in Port Neches, Texas.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6631 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Had a long string of hit singles on Billboard's country charts -- including the No. 1 hits "I'm Wasting My Tears on You" (1944); "You Two-Timed Me Once Too Often" (1945); and "You Will Have to Pay" (1946). Other famous hits included "Deck of Cards" (1948) and "I Dreamed of a Hillbilly Heaven" (1961).

"You Two-Timed Me Once Too Often" was Billboard's No. 1 country hit of the year in 1945.

Father of Tom Ritter

In his later years, he was a disc jockey on Nashville radio.

Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1980.

Singing-cowboy star of "B" westerns during the 30's and 40's and later country-music recording star.

Profiled in "Back in the Saddle: Essays on Western Film and Television Actors", Gary Yoggy, ed. (McFarland, 1998).

Grandfather of Stella Ritter.

The connection, above, of Ritter's given name to actor Morgan Woodward also applies to his brother Lee; who, as a long time television host and weatherman, re-purposed a discarded prop into the popular King Lionel and 'Granny' puppet characters. While many claim the high-top tennis shoe wearing, mildly acerbic irritant to other KOTV personalities as the most popular Tulsa personality, just as many embrace his cross town rival cartoon personality, created by the equally popular KTUL meteorologist and eventual college instructor Don Woods, Gusty; who was voted the first, and possibly only, state cartoon, by the Oklahoma legislature.

Had hit records with 'High Noon' and 'Boll Weavil'.

His heart attack happened while he was visiting friends in Nashville.