Everett Cheatham(1902-1977)
- Soundtrack
Everett Cheatham's genuine cowboy background included years of
entertaining the guests at Dude Ranches, leading trail rides, and
competing in rodeos in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho with his long-time
friend, Hank Worden. He is best remembered
for composing "Blood on the Saddle" and "The Lavender Cowboy", and for
his appearance with Tex Ritter in
Lynn Rigg's folk musical "Green Grow the Lilacs", (which supplied the
story line for the Broadway musical, "Oklahoma", many years later,),
which opened in Boston, moved to New York and went on tour with it in
1931 and 1932. Cheatham and his friend Worden were contestants in the
annual Madison Square Garden rodeo, and answered a casting call for
cowboy singers, musician and yodelers and both were cast in the play,
with Cheatham singing "The Strawberry Roan" and "Red River Valley."
After the play closed, Cheatham worked in New York radio with Ritter,
then gave up show business to return to Wyoming.