Spade Cooley Autographs
Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley (December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969) was an American Western swing musician, big-band leader, actor, and television personality. In 1961, he was convicted of the murder of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans.
Donnell Clyde Cooley was born in Grand, Oklahoma. Being part Cherokee, he was sent to the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon, in his youth. In 1930, during the Dust Bowl, Cooley's family moved to California. There, he took the nickname "Spade" after he played a poker game and won three straight flush hands, all in spades.
Cooley joined a big band led by Jimmy Wakely, who played at the Venice Pier Ballroom in Venice, California, playing fiddle. Several thousand dancers would turn out on Saturday nights to swing and hop: "The hoards (sic) of people and jitterbuggers loved ." When Wakely got a movie contract at Universal Pictures, Cooley replaced him as bandleader. To capitalize on the pioneering success of the Bob Wills–Tommy Duncan pairing, Cooley hired vocalist Tex Williams, who was capable of the mellow, deep, baritone sound made popular by Duncan. Cooley's 18-month engagement at the Venice Pier Ballroom was record-breaking for the early half of the 1940s.
Read more about Spade Cooley on Wikipedia
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Traded items with a signature of Spade Cooley
The most expensive item with a signature of Spade Cooley (SPADE COOLEY - DOCUMENT SIGNED 08/12/1955) was sold in January 2026 for $612.85 while the cheapest item (Spade Cooley Signed Autograph Vintage Photo western swing country music) found a new owner for $14.98 in April 2013. The month with the most items sold (2) was March 2013 with an average selling price of $29.98 for an autographed item of Spade Cooley. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in January 2026 with $612.85 and the month that saw the lowest prices with $18.21 was January 2022. In average, an autographed item from Spade Cooley is worth $110.49.
Most recently, these items with a signature of Spade Cooley were sold on eBay - click here for more items.
| Picture | Item Title | Price | Store |
 | Deuce Spriggens Western Musician Spade Cooley Band Original 1940’s Signed Photo | $114.99 |  |
| Deuce Spriggens Western Musician Spade Cooley Band Original 1940’s Signed Photo | $114.99 | |
| Deuce Spriggens Western Musician Spade Cooley Band Original 1940’s Signed Photo | $114.99 | |
 | Deuce Spriggins & Tex Williams of the Spade Cooley Band & Actors Signed Photo | $172.50 | |
| Deuce Spriggins & Tex Williams of the Spade Cooley Band & Actors Signed Photo | $172.50 | |
| Deuce Spriggins & Tex Williams of the Spade Cooley Band & Actors Signed Photo | $172.50 | |
| Deuce Spriggins & Tex Williams of the Spade Cooley Band & Actors Signed Photo | $127.50 | |
| SPADE COOLEY - DOCUMENT SIGNED 08/12/1955 | $612.85 | |
| Spade Cooley And Phil Gray signed 8x10 autographed Estate Find | $200.00 | |
| Spade Cooley signed 8x10 autographed Estate Find 2 Signed Front And Back | $66.00 | |
| Spade Cooley signed original 8x10 autographed death row murderer | $200.00 | |
| SPADE COOLEY signed photo 8x10 Western Swing Music Big Band Leader | $39.99 | |
| Spade Cooley, Tex Williams & Smokey Rogers Western Swing Musicians Signed Photo | $100.00 | |
| SPADE COOLEY/EVANS/BARRES x 3 signed 8x10 photos Foreman Phillips Venice Country | $106.00 | |
| VINTAGE SPADE COOLEY FAN PHOTO BAND LEADER B/W AUTOGRAPHED 5X7 | $18.21 | |
