Gene Autry filmography his own name, rode his own horse, Champion, had Burnette as his sidekick, and sang several songs in each film—including some that would become his most popular hits. In 1947, with his Republic contract fulfilled, Autry began producing his own films which were distributed by Columbia Pictures. For his Columbia films, Autry chose Sterling Holloway as his sidekick for five films, and then Pat Buttram for sixteen films. Burnette returned for the last six films released in 1953. From 1950 to 1955, Autry appeared in 91 episodes of "The Gene Autry Show" television series. Buttram played his sidekick in 83
Adrian Autry pursued a professional basketball career. He was undrafted in the NBA but had several workouts and played on the Summer Team. Autry enjoyed a more lucrative career overseas. Autry spent one year (1995-1996) playing with Besiktas Istanbul. , and then spent three seasons in Germany playing for SSV Ulm 1846. It was here that Autry and his team were the runners-up in the 1998 German Cup. Autry still holds the 1998-1999 records for points (504), assists (116), and steals (65) and was named to the All-German Imports First Team in 1999. After Germany, Autry headed to Europe where he played