Alan Autry

Alan Autry (born July 31, 1952) is an American actor, politician, and former National Football League (NFL) football player. He is best known for his role as Captain Bubba Skinner on the television series In the Heat of the Night; he also has been in numerous movies and other television shows. In November 2000, he was elected mayor of Fresno, California, serving for two 4-year terms, through January 2009. As of September 2008, Autry had been hosting a radio news talk show on KYNO 940 AM in Fresno. Autry left his duties as host of the news talk show in the spring of 2011.

Early life
Autry was born Carlos Alan Autry in Shreveport, Louisiana, the son of Carl Autry and Verna Brown. His name was changed to Carlos Brown when he was a year old, after his parents divorced. Alan Autry is not directly related to famous western actor Gene Autry. He is, however, a part of one of the branches of the Autry family tree going back several generations. He worked alongside his mother and stepfather Joe Duty in the fields of California's San Joaquin Valley, planting and harvesting cotton, grapes and other crops. They travelled around the valley living in worker camps. When he was 12, 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 in 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 1976, starting quarterback. Autry's football career ended quickly when he was cut from the team by then coach Bart Starr. He then came to Hollywood to make a career as an actor.

Acting career
He made his film debut in the 1978 motion picture Remember My Name. He met his biological father Carl Autry for the first time in 1982 while on location in Shreveport, for the motion picture Southern Comfort, after finding his name in the phone book. Afterwards, he made the decision to return to his birth name Autry.

During his acting years, he struggled with his drug and alcohol use, according to an interview he did with The 700 Club in 2007. After nine years in Hollywood, he returned home and left his career. He tells The 700 Club, "I realized that God had moved in my life like never before. I really realized what God and the power of Jesus Christ was." By 1986, he was a born-again Christian and began to devote much of his time to working with charitable causes. He is married to Kimberlee Autry and they have three children.

Starring roles

 * In the Heat of the Night (1988–1995) as Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain Bubba Skinner
 * Grace Under Fire (1995–1996) as Rick Bradshaw
 * Style & Substance (1998) as Earl
 * Sons of Thunder (1999) as Butch McMann

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]

Appearances

 * 26th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (1991) as Himself/Presenting
 * George & Alana – (1995) as Himself (interview)
 * 30th Annual Victor Awards (1996) as Himself/Presenting
 * 34th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (1999) as Himself/Presenting
 * Get Away Right Away Child Safety Video -(1999) as Himself/Host
 * Billy Graham Central Valley Crusade – (2001) as Himself
 * California 911 Memorial Video – (2001) as Himself (Master of Ceremonies)
 * CNN'S Lou Dobbs Tonight – (6/2/05) as Himself (interview)
 * Hannity & Colmes – (6–10–05) as Himself (interview)
 * Praise the Lord
 * (April 6, 2006) as Himself (interview)
 * (January, 2003) as Himself (interview)
 * (March, 2003) as Himself (interview)
 * (March, 2004) as Himself (Guest Host)
 * Newshour with Jim Lehrer – (July 28, 2006) as Himself (interview)
 * The 700 Club – (January 9, 2006) as Himself (interview)

Films
Credited as Alan Autry Forgiven (2011) As Jake Kincaid
 * Roadhouse 66 (1984) as Hoot
 * O.C. and Stiggs (1985)
 * Eagle and the Bear (1985)
 * Brewster's Millions (1985) as Biff Brown
 * Nomads (1986) as Olds
 * House (1986) as Cop # 3
 * Blue de Ville (1986) as Sgt. Auggie Johnson
 * At Close Range (1986) as Ernie
 * Proud Men (1987) as Brian Winoon
 * Destination America (1987) as Larry Leathergood
 * Amazing Grace and Chuck (1987) as George
 * World Gone Wild (1988) as Hank
 * Street of Dreams (1988) as Maury Fields
 * The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990) as Matt
 * Intruders (1992) as Joe Wilkes
 * The Legend of Jake Kincaid (2002) as Jake Kincaid

Credited as Carlos Brown
 * Remember My Name (1978) as Rusty
 * North Dallas Forty (1979) as Balford
 * Rage! (1980) as Man #B
 * Southern Comfort (1981) as Cpl. Nolan (Coach) Bowden
 * Dangerous Company (1982) as Donald Robinette

Politics
Autry was elected Mayor of Fresno, California in November 2000 by defeating former mayor Dan Whitehurst. He succeeded Jim Patterson. Mr. Autry's first term was from January 2001 to January 2005. He was re-elected on March 2, 2004 with over 72 percent of the vote. He is a Republican. His second term was from January 2005 to January 2009. He was not eligible to run for re-election again, since elected officials in Fresno are limited to two 4-year terms. In November 2008 he endorsed Ashley Swearingin to replace him as Mayor.

During his time as Mayor of Fresno, Autry was a strong supporter of initiatives to ban gay marriage, and at least twice appeared at a large rally on the city hall steps where he issued impassioned pleas in support of his position. In October, 2008, he appeared alongside the Rev. Jim Franklin of Cornerstone Church, to oppose gay marriage and support Prop 8, the California same-sex marriage ban. Opponents of Prop 8 gathered at city hall to protest his actions. Ironically, Mr. Autry played a gay character on the television show Cheers. Of course, this was simply a character he played for a paycheck, and in no way reflected his personal beliefs.

Mr. Autry worked to maintain a balanced city budget, and during his last term as mayor (2008) the City of Fresno had an $18 million reserve along with its balanced budget, did not require job layoffs, and was the only major city in California to accomplish this. However, Autry was later blamed for several boondoggle budget decisions that by 2010 would leave the City of Fresno on the brink of bankruptcy, including the failed Granite Park project and busted loans to the City's failed museum. However, politics and bureaucracy from Autry's political opponents can also be blamed for the Parks slow rise.

Dirt Road Productions
In 1997 he started 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.

Music
Alan 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 (who is his distant cousin). The duo both performed on "Jingle Bells" and "Christmas Time's A Comin'." Franks and Autry were able to include many music legends, some among them, Country Music Hall of Famers 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.