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Smiley Burnette Biography
Birth Name:Lester Alvin Burnette
Birth Place:Summum, Illinois, United States
Profession Actor, Soundtrack, Music department
Fast Facts
- Was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971
- Was inducted into the Western Music Association in 1998
- Got his big break when he was hired to play the accordion on Gene Autry's "National Barn Dance․"
- Started working for the radio station WDZ-AM as a teenager
- Was well known for his work portraying the sidekick of Gene Autry in films
- Despite playing a wide range of instruments, he couldn't read or write music
- Opened a restaurant chain named The Checkered Shirt in the 1950s