▁film ▁star ▁and ▁country ▁music ian . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Sometimes ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁born ▁in ▁San ▁Ang elo , ▁Texas , ▁he ▁was ▁actually ▁born ▁in ▁Ada , ▁Oklahoma ▁but ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Shaw ne e , ▁Oklahoma , ▁att ending ▁Washington ▁Gra de ▁School ▁and ▁Shaw ne e ▁High ▁School . ▁( Tex as ▁birth place ▁reported ly ▁sound ed ▁better ▁for ▁the ▁mov ies ). ▁After ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁labor er ▁at ▁various ▁jobs ▁in ▁Ada ▁and ▁En id ▁OK ▁Her od ▁E ly ▁settled ▁in ▁Shaw ne e ▁and ▁became ▁an ▁evangel ist ▁with ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁God . ▁His ▁oldest ▁son , ▁Bur en , ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁use ▁his ▁musical ▁talent ▁during ▁his ▁father ' s ▁services . ▁ ▁The ▁boy ▁had ▁gathered ▁pec ans ▁and ▁picked ▁cot ton ▁to ▁ear n ▁money ▁to ▁buy ▁his ▁first ▁guitar . ▁So on ▁he ▁was ▁singing ▁and ▁playing ▁the ▁guitar ▁wherever ▁he ▁could ▁find ▁an ▁audience . ▁His ▁parents ▁had ▁divor ced ▁and ▁both ▁had ▁rem ar ried ▁with ▁young est ▁brother ▁Bobby ▁going ▁with ▁his ▁mother . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁ 1 6 - year - old ▁Bur en ▁left ▁home ▁as ▁many ▁boys ▁did ▁during ▁the ▁De press ions . ▁He ▁head ed ▁for ▁Houston ▁and ▁found ▁work ▁playing ▁his ▁music . ▁From ▁there ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁Al bu quer que ▁working ▁on ▁a ▁radio ▁station . ▁A ▁man ▁there ▁convinced ▁him ▁to ▁head ▁to ▁California ▁but ▁all ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to