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Daniel Boone DVD image from media kit
Fess Parker - Davy Crockett
Fess Parker, popular television actor of the 1950s and 1960s as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, died at age 85 on March 18 of natural causes. Parker started a fad in the 1950s when he starred in the hugely popular Disney television show about Tennessee frontiersman Davy Crockett. Coonskin caps, Davy Crockett lunchboxes and all things Crockett became a national obsession thanks to Disney and Fess Parker.
In Tennessee, the series took on special meaning. Crockett grew up in East Tennessee, and "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" made it into many Nashville homes with its beloved lines: Born on a mountain top in Tennessee, Greenest state in the land of the free... Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded one of three popular versions of the song. A used copy of "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" even made it into our home back in the days of the record player, compliments of an older cousin.
Fess Parker - Daniel Boone
After playing Davy Crockett, Fess Parker donned his coonskin cap again to play neighboring Kentucky's heroic Christian frontiersman and hunter Daniel Boone from 1964 to 1970 in the somewhat faith-based series of the same name. There is little doubt that Boone spent time in Tennessee. A tree in Washington County, Tennessee reads "D. Boon Cilled a. Bar [killed a bear] on [this] tree in the year 1760."
The Daniel Boone series co-starred actor and singer Ed Ames--whose Christmas songs are perennial radio favorites--as Boone's Indian friend, Mingo, for the first four seasons. Then Country-Western singer Jimmy Dean, whose first big hit (recorded in Nashville) was 1961's "Big Bad John," became Parker's sidekick, Josh Clements, from 1968 to 1970.
According to The American Christian Hall of Fame, Daniel Boone wrote in 1816: "The religion I have is to love and fear God, believe in Jesus Christ, do all the good to my neighbor, and myself that I can, do as little harm as I can help, and trust on God's mercy for the rest."
Although he starred in other shows and movies, Fess Parker will always be remembered for his roles as Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. He did much to popularize these early Tennessee and Kentucky frontiersmen and to make them part of America's pop culture in the 1950s and 1960s and even to this day through reruns and DVDs.
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Comments
Nice article. Was very sad to hear of his passing. Fess always meant a great deal to my family--my Mom was a Boone and we're descendants of Daniel.
In the late 80s, Fess and his son purchased land and began harvesting grapes for a family-owned winery. They expanded the winery to also run a gorgeous Country Inn and Spa, which is often featured as a prize package on Wheel of Fortune! A wonderful man, indeed!
good article he will be missed. Nice that Ac plugged EX for information on Fess Parker.
I WAS DANIEL BOONE WHEN I WAS 8 YEARS OLD. AND DAVY TOO> I KILLED BEARS / INDIANS/ WOLFS/ MANY TIMES/ IN THE BACK YARD. ALWAYS HAD A COON CAP TOO. HAD LOTS OF FUN. THANKS TO FES PARKER. THANKS
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