Do You Remember John Wayne’s Spoken Word Album?
John Wayne was an iconic actor, best known for his portrayals as a tough guy in Western movies. In his personal life, he was very outdoorsy and had a lot of pride in his country. On March 1, 1973, he released an album of spoken word poetry in honor of the United States titled America, Why I Love Her. The patriotic poems were written by actor John Mitchum and spoken by Wayne. The pair got the idea while shooting the 1970 Western film Chisum.
Reportedly, actor Forrest Tucker heard Mitchum reciting a poem that he wrote while they were on location for the movie. Tucker was so touched by the poem, he told Mitchum to read it to Wayne, who got emotional hearing it for the first time.
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When Mitchum had finished reciting “Why Are You Marching, Son?” Wayne said that he wanted to record an album of his poetry, despite never recording anything in his life. After it was released, it was a hit among fans and Wayne was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 1974. The album was rereleased twice, once after Wayne died in 1979 and once after the Sept. 11 attacks. Wayne once said that “The People” and “Why I Love Her” were his favorite tracks on the album.
This month marks the 52nd anniversary of the original release, and Wayne’s official social media account paid tribute to the album and shared more about children’s books inspired by the album. The Little Duke series includes five books and follows Little Duke and his dog Big Duke as they learn about American values. There is also a coloring book, crayons and a puzzle available for fans that can be purchased on his official site.
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TV Westerns of the 50's & 60's
September 2021
’50s and ’60s TV Westerns roundup, celebrating the shows and stars of their golden age.
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