Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were the king and queen of Westerns, appearing and singing together in countless films and television shows. The couple had incredible chemistry on screen, which should come as no surprise, since the two were husband and wife in real life.
Rogers and Evans met on the set of a movie in 1944 and married on New Year’s Eve in 1947 at the Flying L Ranch in Davis, Oklahoma, where they had just finished working on a film.
Both Rogers and Evans had children from previous marriages and they had one biological daughter together named Robin Elizabeth. Sadly, Robin passed away at a young age due to complications caused by Down Syndrome.
Following their daughter’s death, Evans published a book called Angel Unaware, and was passionate about changing people’s perceptions of children with developmental disabilities. Rogers and Evans later went on to adopt four more children, and were active adoption advocates.
In total, Rogers and Evans were together for 51 years before Rogers passed away in 1998. Evans passed away a few years later in 2001.
Many of Rogers and Evans’ sweetest moments together were captured on film for generations to see. Now, we’re sharing some of those moments with you in this list. Take a stroll down memory lane…
1. When They Sang A Medley Of Western Favorites On The Muppet Show
In 1979, Rogers and Evans appeared as special guests on a Western-themed episode of The Muppet Show. During the show, Rogers and Evans each sang a solo, but the best part is when they came together to sing a medley of classic Western tunes.
The medley included their rendition of “Hazy Mountains” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” which had been previously recorded by popular Western singing group, Sons of the Pioneers.
Many of the Muppets appeared on stage along with Rogers and Evans, dancing and swaying along as they sang around a campfire setting.
At the end of their performance, Rogers and Evans sang the song “Happy Trails” which was the theme song for the radio and television show called The Roy Rogers Show. The song was Rogers and Evans’ signature tune, since it always played during the end credits following the show.
Written by Evans herself, “Happy Trails” is still an important song in the Western community, with the Western Writers of America selecting it as one of the Top 100 Western Songs of All Time.
2. The Time They Had A Blast Singing “San Antone”
Oftentimes, Rogers and Evans would perform parts of their songs in Spanish, showing off a whole new level of talent. Such was the case during a performance of a fun-filled song called “San Antone” which the duo performed during an appearance on a television show later in their careers.
Surrounded by a group of people sitting on straw bales, Rogers and Evans couldn’t stop smiling during the performance. As Evans stepped forward to sing part of the song in Spanish, Rogers looked on adoringly, as he clapped his hands along to the beat.
The duo couldn’t seem to take their eyes off of one another during the performance, leaning in close as they sang. This performance just goes to show the strength of the connection that Rogers and Evans shared, even after so many years together.
3. The Time They Sang Around A Campfire About Chocolate Milk
We’re sure you remember the times that you’d come home from school as a child and beg your mom to let you have a glass of chocolate milk made with Nesquik. Back in the day, the delicious chocolate powder was called Nestle’s Quik…and the company got some pretty big stars to promote their product.
Those stars were Rogers and Evans, who filmed a short black and white commercial to advertise the product. Staying true to their cowboy style, the commercial was shot in a Western-like scene, complete with a campfire.
Rogers and Evans sang a delightfully little ditty about the tasty chocolate beverage, before Evans brought a cup of it over to Rogers to enjoy. After taking the cup from Evans, Rogers joined her in song as they shared their desire for even more Quik. Talk about a sweet moment!