Bob "Tumbleweed" Baker, born Stanley Leland Weed on November 8, 1910, in Forest City, Iowa, made a lasting impact on the Hollywood range during his brief tenure, earning the nickname "Tumbleweed" while serving in the Army and learning to play the guitar.
Born in Forest City, Iowa, Baker's family later relocated to Colorado and Arizona during his formative years. He enlisted in the Army at the age of 18 and earned the nickname "Tumbleweed" during his time of service.
Baker's big break came when he auditioned for Universal Pictures, beating out other hopefuls such as Roy Rogers, to become the new singing cowboy star after the success of Gene Autry.
His initial film, Courage of the West (1937),was a success, and he went on to star in solid white-hatted vehicles such as The Singing Outlaw (1937),The Last Stand (1938),and The Phantom Stage (1939).
Astride his horse Apache, Baker made nine films in 1938 and was ranked 10th in the "Top Ten Moneymaking Western Star" poll of 1939. However, Universal decided to form a movie trio partnering Baker with Johnny Mack Brown and Fuzzy Knight, with Brown being the clear star of the series.
Baker's career began to decline, and by 1942, he was appearing in unbilled parts. His final role was as a bus driver in the Bud Abbott and Lou Costello comedy Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942). Baker claimed his career was fatally mishandled by Universal and left Hollywood, only returning on rare occasions as a stuntman.
Baker returned to his home in Arizona with his wife Evelyn, whom he married in 1935, and four children. He worked as a policeman and owned a saddle shop, where he made and sold saddles and leather goods. In his later years, Baker struggled with poor health due to a series of heart attacks and eventually succumbed to a fatal stroke at the age of 64 while battling cancer.
