Early life

Autry was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, the son of Carl Autry and Verna Brown. His name was changed to Carlos Brown when he was a year old, after parents divorced.

Autry is a distant cousin of Gene Autry. He worked alongside his mother and stepfather, Joe Duty, in California's San Joaquin Valley, where they planted and harvested cotton, grapes, and other crops. They travelled around the valley living in migrant worker camps. When he was twelve, they settled in Riverdale, California.

Football career

In high school, he was a star quarterback for the Riverdale Cowboys. He received an athletic scholarship to the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, where he was a second-string tight end in his senior year for the Tigers.

In 1975, he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, where he ended up in 1976, as the starting quarterback for three games. Autry's football career ended quickly when he was cut from the team by then Coach Bart Starr. He then came to Hollywood to make a career as an actor.

Autry made a football comeback attempt, playing for the B.C. Lions of the CFL in 1979 (as Carlos Brown). He was the third string quarterback behind Joe Paopao and another ex-Green Bay Packer, Jerry Tagge.

Acting career

He made his film debut in the 1978 motion picture Remember My Name. He met his father, Carl Autry, Sr., for the first time in 1982, while on location in Shreveport for the motion picture Southern Comfort after he found Carl's name in the telephone book. Afterwards, he made the decision to return to his birth name Autry.

During his acting years, he struggled with his drug and alcohol use, according to an interview he did with Pat Robertson's The 700 Club in 2007. After nine years in Hollywood, he returned home and left his career. "I realized that God had moved in my life like never before. I really realized what God and the power of Jesus Christ was," he said on The 700 Club. By 1986, he was divorced and became a born-again Christian and began to devote much of his time to working with charitable causes. He is married to Kimberlee Autry and they have three children.

Filmography

Television

Starring roles

• In the Heat of the Night (1988-95) as Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain Bubba Skinner
• Grace Under Fire (1995-96) as Rick Bradshaw
• Style & Substance (1998) as Earl
• Sons of Thunder (1999) as Butch McMann

Guest starring roles

• Cheers- "The Boys in the Bar" (1983) as Tom Kenderson
• The Mississippi - "Murder at Mt. Parnassus" (1983)
• The A-Team
  • "Labor Pains" (1983) as Gary Crenshaw
  • "Quarterback Sneak" (1986) as Mike "The Hammer" Horn
• The Dukes of Hazzard
  • "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Duke" (1984) as Hurley
  • "10 Million Dollar Sheriff" (Parts 1&2) (1981) as Dawson
• Hunter - "High Bleacher Man" (1984) as Whitey McVee
• Newhart - "Will the Real Dick Loudon Please Shut Up?" (1986) as Ed McKendrick
• St. Elsewhere - "Out on a Limb" (1986) as John Corzinsky
• The Facts of Life - "Peekskill Law" (1988) as Clark Darrin
• Hello, Larry - "The Final Papers" (1979) as Max
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - "Gold Fever" (1982) as J.T.
• Best of the West - "The Funeral" (1982)
• Hart of Dixie - as Mayor Todd Gainey Sr. of rival town Fillmore, AL

Appearances

• 26th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (1991) as Himself/Presenting
• George & Alana - (1995) as Himself (interview)
• 30th Annual Victor Awards (1996) as Himself/Presenting
• 34th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (1999) as Himself/Presenting
• Get Away Right Away Child Safety Video -(1999) as Himself/Host
• Billy Graham Central Valley Crusade - (2001) as Himself
• California 911 Memorial Video - (2001) as Himself (Master of Ceremonies)
• CNN'S Lou Dobbs Tonight - (6/2/05) as Himself (interview)
• Hannity & Colmes - (6-10-05) as Himself (interview)
• Praise the Lord
  • (April 6, 2006) as Himself (interview)
  • (January, 2003) as Himself (interview)
  • (March, 2003) as Himself (interview)
  • (March, 2004) as Himself (Guest Host)
• Newshour with Jim Lehrer - (July 28, 2006) as Himself (interview)
• The 700 Club - (January 9, 2006) as Himself (interview)

Films

Credited as Alan Autry

• Roadhouse 66 (1984) as Hoot
• O.C. and Stiggs (1985)
• Eagle and the Bear (1985)
• Brewster's Millions (1985) as Biff Brown
• Nomads (1986) as Olds
• House (1986) as Cop # 3
• Blue de Ville (1986) as Sgt. Auggie Johnson
• At Close Range (1986) as Ernie
• Proud Men (1987) as Brian Winoon
• Destination America (1987) as Larry Leathergood
• Amazing Grace and Chuck (1987) as George
• World Gone Wild (1988) as Hank
• Street of Dreams (1988) as Maury Fields
• The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990) as Matt
• Intruders (1992) as Joe Wilkes
• The Legend of Jake Kincaid (2002) as Jake Kincaid
• Forgiven (2011) As Jake Kincaid

Credited as Carlos Brown

• Remember My Name (1978) as Rusty
• North Dallas Forty (1979) as Balford
• Rage! (1980) as Man #B
• Southern Comfort (1981) as Cpl. Nolan (Coach) Bowden
• Dangerous Company (1982) as Donald Robinette
• Popeye (1980) as Slug (a bully)

Politics

Autry was elected in 2000 to succeed Jim Patterson as the mayor of Fresno. He defeated former Mayor Dan Whitehurst He was re-elected to a second term (2005-2009) on March 2, 2004 with more than 72 percent of the vote. He is a Republican. Because of term limits, he was ineligible to run for re-election. In November 2008, he endorsed Ashley Swearengin, who was elected to succeed him as mayor.

During his time as mayor, Autry was a strong supporter of initiatives to ban gay marriage, and at least twice appeared at a large rally on the steps of City Hall, where he issued impassioned pleas in support of his position. In October 2008, he appeared alongside the Reverend Jim Franklin of Cornerstone Church, to oppose gay marriage and support Proposition 8, the California same-sex marriage ban. Opponents of Prop 8 gathered at City Hall to protest his actions. Autry worked successfully to maintain a balanced city budget. He left the city with an $18 million reserve.

Electoral history

City of Fresno Mayoral Primary Election 2000
Candidate		Votes	Percentage
ALAN AUTRY		22,951	28.75%
DAN WHITEHURST		22,177	27.78%
CHRIS MATHYS		10,503	13.16%
GARRY BREDEFELD		10,029	12.56%
DANIEL RONQUILLO		7,929	9.93%
SAL QUINTERO		5,046	6.32%
CHRIS PETERSEN		699	.88%
BENJERMAN J. RAYA		214	.27%
MICHAEL EAGLES		203	.25%
Write-in Votes		86	.11%
Total votes		79,837	100.00%

City of Fresno Mayoral General Election 2000
Candidate		Votes	Percentage
ALAN AUTRY		66,555	61.23%
DAN WHITEHURST		41,920	38.57%
Total votes		108,689	100.00%

City of Fresno Mayoral Primary Election 2004
Candidate		Votes	Percentage
ALAN AUTRY		48,744	72.53%
SUE SAIGAL		13,904	20.69%
JOHNNY W. NELUM, SR		2,348	3.49%
BENJERMAN JUNIOR RA		1,159	1.72%
TONY FARMER		813	1.21%
BARBARA ANN HUNT WI		8	.01%
Write-in Votes		225	.33%
Total votes		67,201	100.00%

Dirt Road Productions

In 1997, Autry launched his own production company Dirt Road Productions. In 2002, he released The Legend of Jake Kincaid, a western based on a story he wrote. He was also the director of this film.

Music

Alan Autry and his In the Heat of the Night co-star Randall Franks joined forces under the banner of Autry-Franks Productions to produce the charity "In the Heat of the Night" CD "Christmas Time's A Comin'" featuring the cast of the show. The project raised funds for drug abuse prevention charities. With Franks producing, Autry performed his rendition of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" in homage to Gene Autry. The duo both performed on "Jingle Bells" and "Christmas Time's A Comin'." Franks and Autry were able to include many music legends, some among them, Country Music Hall of Famers Kitty Wells, Jimmy Dickens and Pee Wee King as well as many legends from the Bluegrass genre, from Jim & Jesse to The Lewis Family. The “Christmas Time’s A Comin’” CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA was one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.

Alan Autry and Randall Franks through Autry-Franks Productions and Crimson Records released "Alan Autry and Randall Franks Mississippi Moon: Country Traditions" in 2013, an Americana CD featuring both actors vocally on various classic and original songs. The project which incorporates country, bluegrass and Southern gospel includes special appearances by Bluegrass Hall of Fame members Jim and Jesse McReynolds and three-time Dove Award nominee Mark Wheeler.

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[ Source: Wikipedia ]