7 Outrageous Scandals That Rocked Classic Country Music
on Nov 28, 2017
YouTube/Qutmaster (Left), Billboard.com (Right)
6. Spade Cooley Beats His Wife To Death
Known for singing mostly Western swing and big band music, Spade Cooley also became known for murder after the 1961 brutal beating of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans.
After admitting to an affair with Roy Rogers, she asked for a divorce from Cooley (who had his own issues with infidelity) and sought custody of their three children.
In early April of 1961, Cooley beat Evans to death in front of his 14-year-old daughter, who later told the jury that she watched as he beat her head against the floor, stomped her, and burned her with a cigarette to ensure she was dead.
He claimed she had been injured after falling in the shower, but was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
