SCANDALS: Spade Cooley
November 3, 2023 by Janet Elizabeth Lynn and Will Zeilinger in category Partners in Crime by Janet Elizabeth Lynn & Will Zeilinger
In the 1950s, Spade Cooley was a beloved national treasure and one of the greatest stars of Western swing. But he soon became famous for something very different when he suspected his wife of having an affair and beat her to death.
Donnell Clyde (Spade) Cooley was an American Western swing musician, big band, leader, actor, and television personality.
Cooley played fiddle with one of the groups that performed at the Venice Pier Ballroom in Venice, California, led by Jimmy Wakely. When Wakely got a movie contract at Universal, Cooley replaced him as bandleader.
Cooley’s 18-month engagement at Santa Monica’s Venice Pier Ballroom in the early half of the 1940s was record-breaking. His first hit was Shame on You, recorded in December 1944, and was No. 1 on the country charts for two months. The song was the first in a string of six Top Ten singles, including Detour and You Can’t Break My Heart.
Cooley appeared in 38 Western films in bit parts and as a stand-in for cowboy actor Roy Rogers.
In June 1948, Cooley began hosting a variety show on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, broadcast from the Santa Monica Pier Ballroom. The show won local Emmy awards in 1952 and 1953. The Hoffman Hayride was very popular. An estimated 75 percent of all televisions in the L.A. area were tuned into the show each Saturday night. However, by 1956, Cooley’s ratings dropped and he was eventually replaced with Lawrence Welk.
Cooley’s career ended when he beat his second wife, Ella Mae, to death on April 3, 1961. His trial hit headlines worldwide, and he was eventually found guilty of first-degree murder. From musical media darling to disgraced violent felon, Cooley was indicted for the murder and convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Cooley had served about nine years of his life sentence and was in poor health from heart trouble. On November 23, 1969, he received a 72-hour leave to play a benefit concert for the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Alameda County. During the intermission, after a standing ovation, he died of a heart attack.
For a trip down memory lane, listen to Shame on You go to:
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