Singer/songwriter/actor Eddie Dean was described by Gene Autry and Roy Rogers as the greatest singing cowboy of all time. The seventh son of a seventh son, he was born on July 9, 1907 in Posey, TX as Edgar Dean Glosup to a farmer and schoolteacher. His parents shared their love for music with their children, and Dean showed a talent in vocal harmonizing. He soon began playing the guitar and piano and fiddle in addition to singing.

Edgar Glosup moved to Chicago in 1926 in hopes of becoming a radio singer but was only able to land guest spots on programs. During that time, he adopted the stage name of Eddie Dean after being advised that his surname of Glosup was not recognizable or memorable. He moved to Shenandoah, IA in 1927 where he landed a regular gig with KMA. Eddie and his older brother, Jimmie Dean, formed a duo a year later and sang for WNAX in Yankton, SD. This led them to a regular stint on WIBW in Topeka, KS in 1930. They returned to Chicago three years after where they sang for the National Barn Dance on WLS. In 1934, the duo recorded tracks for the Decca label and later the ARC label. In 1935, the brothers disbanded to pursue solo careers. While Jimmie moved onto other radio stations, Eddie was not sure if he should try his luck in New York or Los Angeles but decided on the latter after flipping a coin.

Dean moved to Hollywood in 1936 where he landed bit roles and supporting roles in films, notably westerns. He picked up additional income as a regular singer on Judy Canova’s radio show and he recorded several singles for Decca, Standard, American Record Company, Just Film, and Radio Recorders from 1939 to 1943. In 1944, his major break came when he was given his own B-western film series with the Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC). After his film series ended in 1948, he focused mostly on music but he made occasional appearances on TV (including a guest appearance as a yodeling policeman on the legendary sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies”). From 1945 to 1976, he wrote songs and recorded for a variety of labels including Majestic, Ode, Bel-Tone, Mercury, Crystal, Capitol, Sage & Sand, Commerce, and Shasta. He charted twice on America’s C&W chart with two of his own compositions – “One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)” (#11, 1948) and “I Dreamed of a Hill-Billy Heaven” (#10, 1955). Both songs were bigger hits for other recording artists. His final single, “A Cold Texas Beer,” was released in 1990 by the Bradley Brothers label. He toured and made several concert appearances, notably at fairs for western films and country music, well into his eighties. He was inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1993.

Dean was a prolific songwriter. In addition to “One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)” and “I Dreamed of a Hill-Billy Heaven,” some of his other song compositions – many of which were co-written with other songwriters – include “‘Neath Texas Skies,” “1501 Miles of Heaven,” “Cry-Cry-Cry,” “How Can You Say You Love Me?” “I Was Wrong,” “I’ll Be Back,” “I’ll Cry on My Pillow Tonight,” “I’m Not in Love, Just Involved,” “It’s a Boy,” “Just Awhile,” “Let’s Go Sparkin’,” “The Low Road’s Good Enough for Me,” “On the Banks of the Sunny San Juan,” “One You Must Choose,” “Please Don’t Cry,” “Poor Little Swallow,” “This Lonely World,” and “Walk Beside Me.”

Dean died of heart and lung disease in Los Angeles on March 4, 1999. He was married to Lorene “Dearest” (née Donnelly) (Oct. 4, 1911 – July 12, 2002) from September 11, 1931 until his death. In addition to his wife, he was also survived by their daughter and son (Donna Knorr and Edgar Glosup Jr.), 8 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. He received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame 16 days after his death.