Smiley Burnette

Birth Name:

Lester Alvin Burnette

Birth Place:

Summum, Illinois, United States

Profession

Actor, Soundtrack, Music department

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

Fast Facts