Stuart Hamblen

The name alone evokes a big, beefy hard-livin' type and that's exactly what Stuart Hamblen was. Popular for singing hits like "My Mary" and "Texas Plains" during the '40s, Hamblen was also cast as the ranch "tough" in many cowboy flicks of the era, as his reputation with the bottle served him well for the role. Hamblen, however, eventually found God and left country music altogether, opting to host an L.A.-based radio show, named with Hamblen's trademark flare, The Cowboy Church of the Air. ~ Steve Kurutz