Alan Autry

Alan Autry
23rd Mayor of Fresno
In office
January 5, 2001 – January 6, 2009
Preceded by Jim Patterson
Succeeded by Ashley Swearengin
Personal details
Born Carlos Alan Autry Jr.
(1952-07-31) July 31, 1952
Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Vicky Brown (1980–1986; divorced); 1 child
Kimberlee Autry (1994–present); 2 children
Residence Fresno, California, U.S.
Occupation NFL football player, actor, radio host, politician

Carlos Alan Autry Jr. (also known for a period of time as Carlos Brown; born July 31, 1952), is an American actor, politician, and former National Football League player. During his brief football career, he was known as Carlos Brown. He played the role of Captain Bubba Skinner on the NBC television series, In the Heat of the Night, starring Carroll O'Connor. He has also appeared in films and other television shows. In November 2000, he was elected mayor of Fresno, California, and served for two four-year terms through January 2009. In 2008, Autry was hosting a radio news talk show on KYNO AM 940 in Fresno, but left the station in 2011.

Early life

Autry was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, the son of Carl and Verna (née Brown) Autry. His name was changed to Carlos Brown when he was a year old, after his 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 traveled 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.[1]

His football career ended quickly when he was cut from the team by then Coach Bart Starr. He then went to Hollywood to become an actor.[2] He 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 surname of 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.

Other

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.[3] 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 his second wife, Kimberlee Autry; the couple have three children.

Filmography

Television

Starring roles
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 [Credited as Carlos Brown]
  • 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 [Credited as Carlos Brown]
  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – "Gold Fever" (1982) as J.T. [Credited as Carlos Brown]
  • Best of the West – "The Funeral" (1982) [Credited as Carlos Brown]
  • Hart of Dixie (2015) – as Mayor Todd Gainey Sr. of rival town Fillmore, AL
Appearances

Films

Credited as Alan Autry

Credited as Carlos Brown

Politics

Autry with Congressman Devin Nunes in 2003

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.

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 Rev. 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 %
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

[4]

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

[5]

City of Fresno Mayoral Primary Election 2004
Candidate Votes %
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

[6]

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.[7]

Music

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, including 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.

Autry and Randall Franks formed Autry-Franks Productions. 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.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Carlos Brown". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  2. ↑ Leon, David (2005-11-18). "Actor-turned-Fresno-mayor roots against old pal Carroll". usatoday.com. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  3. ↑ The 700 Club – Alan Autry: A New Sheriff in Town, cbn.com; accessed July 20, 2016.
  4. ↑ "County of Fresno - County Clerk Registrar of Voters - March 7, 2000 Presidential Primary Election". Co.fresno.ca.us. 2000-03-07. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  5. ↑ "Consolidated General Election". County of Fresno - County Clerk Registrar of Voters. November 7, 2000. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  6. ↑ "County of Fresno - County Clerk Registrar of Voters - March 2, 2004 Consolidated Presidential Primary Election". fresno.ca.us. 2004-03-02. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  7. ↑ "The Legend of Jake Kincaid (TV Movie 2002)". IMDB.
  8. ↑ "A Musical "Mississippi Moon" Shines for Two American Actors". Cybergrass.com. 2013-09-19. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
Political offices
Preceded by
Jim Patterson		 23rd Mayor of Fresno, California
January 2001 – January 6, 2009		 Succeeded by
Ashley Swearengin
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