"What a great story - a must for all music afficionados - this is legendary stuff. What a gift." - Mark Snow (prolific screen and TV composer of The X-files, The Rookies, Hart to Hart) "Van Alexander knows more about the Big Band era than any man alive - and he's written it all in his autobiography." - James Bacon, veteran Hollywood columnist "What a delight it is to have the recollections of one who was there, and was central to the development of the Swing Era, and so much of what followed..." - Garry Giddens - author, columnist, artistic director of the American jazz orchestra "Van...

Singing cowboy star Eddie Dean rode high, wide, and handsome on the movie screens in the 1940s. The Texas-born wrangler galloped through 55 films, starring in 20 of them and was voted one of the most popular Western stars of his time. He was the first to have his own series of Western movies filmed in color. The singing cowpuncher with the rich baritone voice was known as "The Golden Cowboy" and enjoyed a recording, stage, and club popularity long after his movie career ended. Dean also helped to compose a pair of hit songs that have since become staples in the Country-Western music world....