Roy Rogers

He started out in life as Len Sly, then became Dick Weston, then Roy Rogers.  But as every fan knew, he was really Prince Valiant in the service of good King Arthur promoting a high moral tone and childlike fun.

When I was 11 I ran away from home to meet him. He was going to be grand marshal at a big rodeo in Los Angeles and I wanted to be the first one he shook hands with when he came riding out.  What a dream.  Unfortunately, my mother alerted police and I never got anywhere near him.  I had to wait ten years to meet him.

And what did I do after he shook my hand?  I took two steps back and fell off a porch.  I was never at my best meeting my boyhood heroes.  Johnny Mac Brown had to ask for his hand back, for pete's sake!

I lay there in the dirt so embarrassed I wanted to die.  I had no hope of getting an interview.  But Roy gave me almost an hour of his time and asked if I needed more.  I couldn't believe anyone could be so kind.

Roy Jr. told me how he found his dad in his kitchen one morning fixing breakfast for some strangers.  They just walked right on in uninvited, Roy Jr. said, "but Dad thought they were nice folks and asked them to stay."

"Oh, I still think of myself as Len Sly," Roy said.

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