Rex Allen

Rex Allen, 1920-1999, known as the "Arizona Cowboy" and "Mister Cowboy," brought much pride to the people of Willcox, Arizona.

Born Rex Elvie Allen (1920-1999) to Horace Allen and Faye Clark, Rex grew up on a homestead 40 miles north of Willcox. Rex was a real cowboy who became the last of the singing cowboys of Western movie fame.

Inside the museum, opened in 1989 to honor the famous home-town boy, you’ll see memorabilia from his lifetime success in rodeo, radio, movies and televison. Across the street from the museum is a larger-than-life bronze statue of Rex, created by sculptor Buck McCain. Inside the statue is a molded bronze heart with arteries, symbolizing that Rex’s heart will always be in Willcox. Rex’s horse, KoKo, is buried at the foot of the statue.

As a boy Rex played guitar and sang at local functions with his fiddle-playing father. After high school graduation, he followed the rodeo circuit but decided that his future looked better with a guitar than with the rodeo. He got his start in show business on the radio in New Jersey as “Cactus Rex”, then performed in Chicago on the WLS Radio program, National Barn Dance. In 1948 he signed with Mercury Records where he recorded a number of successful country music albums. In 1952 he switched to the Decca label where he continued to record into the 1970s. ( .. more .. )