Julie Rogers Pomilia is the granddaughter of one of the most famous couples in Western film & TV history, the legendary Western Movie & TV Stars Roy Rogers & Dale Evans.
They were the Brad & Angelina of the 50’s having adopted 5 out of their 9 children who were often photographed all lined up in little matching western outfits. (OMG I used to dress up just like that when I was a little kid.)
Julie is the youngest daughter of Dale Evans’ only biological son. She first realized her grandparents were famous when Grandpas’ photo was on the cover of Weekly Scholastic in 2nd grade. LOL
Julie was in her dorm room in college when she first heard the infamous song ‘Happy Trails’ on the radio and heard the announcer say Dale Evans wrote the song. Julie had no clue. She called up her Grandma and and said, “Really Grandma? You wrote that song? No one in this family tells me anything” Lol Some good inspirational lyrics in the song Happy Trails.
“Some trails are happy ones, Others are blue. It’s the way you ride the trail that counts!”
Famous as the couple was, Julie remembers family was everything to them and though they could be sleeping over at the White House one weekend they’d be on the floor playing Old Maid with the kids the next . But Julie shared, there was as much tragedy in the family as there was joy, as the couple lost three children along the way.
Roy Rogers & Dale Evans were second only to Walt Disney in their merchandising in the late 40’s and 50’s with over 400 items with their names and likeness. They actually didn’t not make a lot of money from their movies back then because that’s just how it was, so they had to make their money through products.
As for ‘Trigger’ Roy’s’ famous horse, he lived to be 30 years old and yes it’s true after he passed he was stuffed and mounted at the Roy Rogers and Dale Evan’s Museum. His hide was stitched over a foam mold and he was placed in his signature rearing move.
Meet the lovely and loving granddaughter Julie Rogers Pomilia on this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show. Her new book “Your Heroes, My Grandparents” is just out.
