Western singing star Woodward Maurice ("Tex") Ritter was born in Panola County, Texas. After attending college, he began singing cowboy ballads on a Houston radio station in 1928. He advanced to Broadway, where he was nicknamed "Tex," and in 1936 began a series of popular western movies. Ritter later performed for television and the Grand Ole Opry and was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame. His best-known recording is the title song from the film "High Noon."