who sang rudolph the red-nosed reindeer first

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was first introduced in the book 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: A Christmas Adventure' written by Robert L. May in 1939. The song version of the story, which is what most people know it as today, was first performed in 1949 by Gene Autry, who also played Rudolph in the 1948 movie adaptation.