Famous “singing cowboy” Richard Thomas Goldhahn was born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on this day (September 4) in 1915. Under the stage name Dick Thomas, he reached the top of the U.S. country chart in 1945 with the self-penned “Sioux City Sue”. The following year, Gene Autry would cover the song for his film of the same name. Sioux City Sue marked his first onscreen appearance after serving in the military during World War II.
Today, we’re taking a look at the life and career of singing cowboy Dick Thomas.
Who Was Dick Thomas?
Growing up on a pig farm near Philadelphia, Dick Thomas developed an early interest in music, learning to play the harmonica, violin, guitar and piano all by high school.
He began his career in 1934 as a yodeling cabin boy on a radio show called SS All In Fun.
Going to California
In the early 1940s, Dick Thomas followed his musical dreams out West, packing up wife Mickey and son “Dickey” and heading to California…