Rex Trailer (September 16, 1928 – January 9, 2013) was an American regional television personality, broadcast pioneer, cowboy and Country and Western recording artist.

"[3] In 1948, Trailer was working in the traveling rodeo when he met Western movie star Gabby Hayes backstage at Madison Square Garden.

Hayes, recognizing Trailer's rare natural talent over the course of that summer, encouraged him to break into the fledgling world of children's television as an on-air personality.

Meanwhile, Trailer heard that the Westinghouse TV station in Philadelphia (WPTZ) needed a host for a Western-style children's show.

Another album with some overlap in playlists also exists, by "Rex Trailer and his Cow Hands", titled Western Favorites, which was released in 1961 on Spin-O-Rama records.

In 1956, with a wealth of broadcasting experience and not yet out of his twenties, Rex Trailer chose the move to Boston to host a new weekend-morning children's show Boomtown on WBZ-TV.

[3] Trailer was already familiar with Boston, having performed as a specialty act when he traveled with big bands that played the Copley Plaza Hotel.

As originally conceived, the show was strictly a showcase for Trailer, who demonstrated trick riding and roping, sang cowboy tunes, and told western stories.

Each episode of Boomtown opened with Rex Trailer on an indoor "bunkhouse" set, singing or engaging in comedy routines with a sidekick, in the manner of the popular Howdy Doody program.

As the camera lingered on a close-up of the Pepsi logo, the radio (tuned to sister station WBZ-AM) was playing a Coca-Cola commercial.

Rex Trailer's fame, good name, and crowd-pleasing talents made him a dependable draw at many personal appearances in the area, with his TV sidekicks usually accompanying him.

He also teamed with a local travel agency in chaperoning children on an annual series of group school-vacation trips to California tourist attractions.

[10] In addition, Trailer also encouraged his young fans to hold neighborhood charity fund-raisers called "Backyard Carnivals Against Dystrophy", offering how-to kits on air.

[7] Shooting live three-hour shows in the Brighton studio every Saturday and Sunday morning left Trailer little opportunity at that time to contemplate his place in television history.

"[2] When Boomtown ended on WBZ-TV, Trailer briefly put his Western costume aside and hosted Earth Lab, a syndicated science series that aired across the country until 1979.

Billy, Uncle Sam Donato and the Boomtown Band, and added magician "Denver Dave," played by David Rich.

This iteration of the show was complemented by weekday afternoon "Good Time Gang" inserts, during which Trailer and other featured players of Boomtown introduced episodes of pre-produced children's programming and gave away prizes.

Rex Trailer was part of the successful "I Love New York" tourism campaign, playing a New Hampshire fisherman in a 1982 TV commercial.

He was a licensed pilot, having flown fixed wing craft including the Boeing 747 as well as helicopters and gliders, the latter at the (now defunct) Northeast Gliderport in Salem NH.

Once, Trailer was flying with Bozo the Clown (Frank Avruch) in his helicopter; engine trouble forced them down in a Western Massachusetts field, where they were greeted by incredulous children who had followed their descent.

He owned a video production company in Waltham, Massachusetts, and taught on-air performance at Emerson College in Boston, both until his death.

[4] He made regular personal appearances, and performed on occasion, including sets at Boston rock clubs in his later years as a special guest.

[17] On September 11, 2011, Trailer appeared at That's Entertainment in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, to meet fans, sing songs and sign free autographs as he marked the 55th anniversary of Boomtown.

Between raising her daughter and attending charity events, Mrs. Trailer had dedicated her time to helping people in need through volunteer work with hospitals and various organizations.

Learn from the tough experiences and most of all appreciate every day of life.”[23] She recalled that her father was much the same person in public and private life, and that he had a talent for making everyone feel special.

[citation needed] A documentary film titled, Rex Trailer's Boomtown was produced by Milford, Massachusetts native Michael Bavaro.

Jay Leno, Jimmy Tingle, Mayor Tom Menino, Steven Wright and more than 100 grown-up kids share their Boomtown memories, and attest to the enduring stature of its host.

The broadcast version of the film and archive material were presented to and are now part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Television & Radio in New York City.

[citation needed] Trailer was honored for his lifetime of contributions to people with mental and intellectual disabilities at the 50th anniversary Gala for The Arc of Massachusetts on September 10, 2005.

"[10] In March 2012, the Massachusetts tourism and cultural development committee endorsed Trailer's proposed designation as the state’s "official cowboy.