who originally sang rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was originally written by Johnny Marks in 1939 and performed by Gene Autry. The song tells the story of a young reindeer named Rudolph who has a shiny red nose that makes him different from the other reindeer. Despite facing bullying and ridicule, Rudolph eventually uses his unique ability to guide Santa's sleigh and save Christmas.