Gene Austin

A singer and composer who came rambling out of Texas at the beginning of the 20th century, Gene Austin is best-known for his "My Blue Heaven," one of the most popular records of all time. He was born Eugene Lucas, but later took on his stepfather Jim Austin's surname, coming of age in a series of Louisiana small towns. Austin was all of 15 when he joined the Army, participating in the dangerous expedition to capture Pancho Villa in 1916. As if that wasn't enough, he also served in France during World War I, a conflict that many participants returned from with more than just sl...