Gene Austin
Singer | Songwriter
Born
June 24, 1900
in Gainesville, Texas
Died
Jan. 24, 1972
of lung cancer in Desert Hospital, Calif.
Gene Austin was a composer and singer who crooned to fame in the 1920s with "My Blue Heaven."
Although he wrote and recorded many songs, it was "My Blue Heaven" that rocketed him to fame with sales of about 12 million copies. Between 1924 and 1930, about 86 million of his recordings were sold. Some of his songs were "How Come You Do Me Like You Do?," "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street," "Wedding Bells Are Ringing" and "Ridin' Around in the Rain."