Hollywood Walk Of Fame Still Honors Convicted Wife-Killer Spade Cooley—And His Biggest Hit Was “Shame On You”

Hollywood's most glamorous sidewalk is hiding an extraordinarily dark secret: one of its stars belongs to a man convicted of murdering his wife.

Spade Cooley was once celebrated as the "King of Western Swing," a fiddle-playing bandleader whose music, movies and television appearances made him a household name during the 1940s and 1950s. However, behind the polished performances and celebrity image was a horrifying story that would end his career and forever stain his legacy.

Born Donnell Clyde Cooley, the musician enjoyed six consecutive Top 10 singles and hosted his own television variety program. His biggest hit was the chart-topping "Shame on You"-a title that would later take on a chillingly ironic meaning.

Hollywood honored Cooley with a Walk of Fame star in the radio category on February 8, 1960. It remains located at 6802 Hollywood Boulevard. Just over a year after receiving the honor, Cooley was arrested for the brutal killing of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans.

Ella Mae had entered Cooley's life as a singer in his band before the couple married in 1945. Their relationship reportedly became increasingly troubled, with jealousy, infidelity accusations and allegations of domestic abuse dominating their final years together.

On April 3, 1961, Ella Mae died following a prolonged attack at the couple's California home. The couple's 14-year-old daughter, Melody, witnessed part of the assault and later gave devastating testimony against her father.

According to the subsequent appellate decision, Ella Mae suffered extensive injuries after being dragged, beaten, stomped and choked. Medical experts determined that internal bleeding caused by a ruptured abdominal artery resulted in her death. The court described the evidence supporting a killing by torture as "overwhelming."

Cooley attempted to claim that his wife had injured herself by falling in the shower, but the evidence told a dramatically different story. A jury convicted him of first-degree murder in August 1961, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The conviction was later upheld on appeal.

In another bizarre twist, Cooley was granted a 72-hour furlough from prison in November 1969 so that he could perform at a benefit concert for the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs Association. After receiving a standing ovation from approximately 2,800 people, he walked backstage and suffered a fatal heart attack. He died before his approved parole could take effect.

Yet his Hollywood star never disappeared.

Cooley is widely believed to be the only person convicted of murder whose name remains permanently displayed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is still included on the attraction's official website, which openly acknowledges that his career ended after his arrest and conviction for Ella Mae's murder.

Why has it never been removed? The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has repeatedly maintained that stars become part of the historic fabric of the Walk once they are installed. The organization treats them as historical markers documenting entertainment history rather than continuing endorsements of the people whose names appear upon them.

That policy has faced renewed scrutiny whenever disgraced celebrities become the subject of criminal convictions or serious allegations. Nevertheless, the Walk of Fame has never formally removed one of its stars.

Cooley's marker therefore remains embedded in Hollywood Boulevard more than six decades after his conviction. Tourists can walk directly over the name of the celebrated entertainer without realizing that the man behind it spent his final years serving a life sentence for murdering Ella Mae.

The disturbing story raises an uncomfortable question: Should a landmark preserve every part of Hollywood history-even when one of its brightest stars conceals an unspeakably dark crime?