Rick Felix
(Deceased)
Rick Felix was born Richard Randall Felix on April 23, 1946 in Culver City, CA. He was a singer and musician and champion yodeler. He loved the music of the American Cowboy from the time he was a very little boy. He had a particular affinity for the traditional western ballads. And, in particular, he liked those ballads reflecting the musical culture of his father --- whose family hails from the states of Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico-- and that of his mother's heritage from County Cork, Ireland. That's why he proudly wore the title, "El Vaquero Celtico" --- The Mexican and Irish Cowboy. 
From 1999 until his untimely death in 2003, Rick Felix worked with the National Festival of the West, one of the largest gatherings in the world dedicated to the culture of the American Cowboy. It is held annually in Scottsdale, Arizona. He had served as Director of Entertainment for FOW since April 2000. In November of 2000, Rick Felix won the prestigious award of the Western Music Association's "Male Yodeling Champion 2000". And he came out tops in 2002, also.
In the year 2001, he was nominated for Western Music Association's "Male Performer of the Year". Additionally, Rick shared with Igor Glenn the title of Western Music Association's "Harmony Yodeling Champion 2001 & 2002". Rick played a variety of instruments from guitar, to bagpipes and sang and played a wide range of music and styles.
Richard Randall Felix died in a traffic accident just south of Cordes Junction, Arizona on Nov. 8, 2003. He was returning from a performance earlier in the evening at Page, Arizona.
Verna Felton
(Deceased)
Verna Felton, actress, was born on July 20, 1890 in Salinas, California. She was somewhat type-cast by her husky voice and matronly face. However, she certainly stayed busy with her TV, movie and radio work.
It is Verna Felton's voice that generations of movie goers hear as the "Fairy Godmother" in Walt Disney Studio's "Cinderella" (1950), as the voice of the Queen of Hearts in "Alice in Wonderland"(1951), and as the voice of Aunt Sarah in "Lady and the Tramp" (1955). Her Western movies included "The Gunfighter" (1950) and "The Oklahoman" (1957) .
Verna Felton never received a credit for appearing on the TV show, "M*A*S*H". She died years before it hit the TV screen. However, her old acting buddy Harry Morgan played the part of "Colonel Potter" on that show. The two of them had starred together in the TV sitcom "Pete and Gladys". And as a tribute to her, Morgan kept a photo of her on his desk there on the set. And he sometimes pointed to her photo, during filming, and referred to her as his wife, "Mildred" or "Mrs. Potter".
Verna Felton died of a stroke on December 14, 1966 at age 76 in North Hollywood, CA.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Verna Felton.
Jim Fish
Jim Fish is a cowboy poet. He is also the editor of the Texas Cowboy Gazette, 609 College St., Suite J, Junction, TX 76849. Phone: (915) 446-4646. Fax: (915) 446-4349. Email him at: ramrod@ricc.net. CLICK HERE to go to the Texas Cowboy Gazette web site.
Shug Fisher
Shug Fisher was born as George Clinton Fisher in Spring Creek, Oklahoma on Sept. 26, 1907.His mother called him "Shug" as short for Sugar, because he was so sweet, and the nickname stuck.
Fisher's family farmed. He was the youngest of four children. When he was ten, his family moved a bit southwest to Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. And they made the move in a horse-drawn covered wagon.
Shug Fisher came into possession of a mandolin and began plunking out a few tunes. It was enough to arouse his father's long dormant fiddling talent, and they began to play together. Soon the boy also learned to play the guitar and the fiddle. They were popular at the numerous dances at country homes.
When the year of 1924 rolled around, Shug Fisher saw a traveling medicine show for the very first time. And he was greatly impressed by the troop's ability to make the audience laugh. It was right then and there that he decided that he would, as much as possible, bring a laugh or two to his own audiences.
He moved to southern California in 1925. He worked at various day jobs so he could spend his evenings playing music and honing his comic skills.
A fellow named Tom Murray hired him in 1931 to be a part of his "Hollywood Hill Billies". The band was very popular in California, but Fisher felt he was drastically underpaid and soon moved on to become a member of the "Beverly Hill Billies" (note that name).
However, that group got crossways with each other and split. Shug Fisher wound up going with "Glen Rice and His Beverly Hill Billies," operating from their base in San Francisco. It was during this time that he added another instrument to his inventory, having learned to play the bass fiddle.
In 1935 he moved on to team us with Hugh Cross and his band. They performed under the name of "Hugh and Shug's Radio Pals," a reflection of their work on the many live radio programs in that day and time. It was while that group was working on WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio, that he met and became friends with a struggling guitar picker named . . . Merle Travis.
Many people do no know that Shug Fisher, a character actor whose face is familiar enough, worked for years as a member of the famous "Sons of the Pioneers" singing group.
With the start of World War II in 1941, many Hollywood stars volunteered to serve their country in the armed forces. Both Gene Autry and Jimmy Stewart joined and became pilots. And others, like Lloyd Perryman and Pat Brady of the Sons of the Pioneers, were drafted into service. When that happened, those two members were replaced by two Oklahomans: Ken Carson (born in Oklahoma on Nov. 14, 1914) and Shug Fisher . Fisher had been working at the Lockheed Aircraft factory in Burbank, Calif., building military aircraft for the war effort.
By 1944 the Sons of the Pioneers --now made up of Ken Carson, Shug Fisher, Tim Spencer and the Farr brothers-- changed recording companies, leaving Decca for RCA-Victor. This company produced the group with many more instruments and orchestration. They branched off into not only cowboy songs but more pop material. And besides doing their own records, they backed people like Dale Evans and their founder, Roy Rogers, who were also with RCA-Victor.
In 1946, following the end of World War II, Pat Brady and Lloyd Perryman rejoined the Sons of the Pioneers. Ken Carson continued to perform with the group until December of 1947.
It was in 1946 that Shug Fisher and Merle Travis co-wrote "Cincinnati Lou," a song often found on Merle Travis recordings. Fisher also wrote "Pooey On You, Little Darlin'," a novelty song later recorded by fellow ex-Sons of the Pioneer member Ken Curtis ("Festus Hagin" on Gunsmoke). And on a CD that I have in my personal collection, one of the songs is his own composition. That is "Lonesome Train Blues," a very Jimmy Rogers-like song. And he also does a song called "Gooseberry Pie," using his fake stuttering as a comedy device. He often did that in his appearances in movies and TV as well.
Shug Fisher is at left, with the guitarIn 1953, with record sales slumping, the Sons of the Pioneers left RCA-Victor and signed with Coral Records. Soon thereafter, both Ken Curtis and Shug Fisher left to do more movie and TV work. So the group replaced them with Dale Warren (born in Summerville, KY., on June 1, 1925) and Deuce Spriggens.
The contract with Coral was not a productive association. In 1955 they returned to RCA-Victor. And Ken Curtis and Bob Nolan joined the Sons for some studio work, while the actual touring group was made up of Hugh and Karl Farr, Dale Warren, Deuce Spriggens, Tommy Doss and Lloyd Perryman. But Spriggens soon left the group, to be replaced by former member Shug Fisher. And Bob Nolan, one of the originals, also called it quits.
In 1959 Shug Fisher left the Sons of the Pioneers for the last time.
He worked on "Stuart Hamblen's Covered Wagon Jubilee" for a time there in southern California. And he was also a featured performer on Red Foley's popular "Ozark Jubilee" show until 1961.
Shug Fisher may be best known for his appearances on the TV comedies "Petticoat Junction" and "The Beverly Hillbillies" (appeared as Shorty Kellers during the 1969-71 seasons).
However, his roles in Western TV programs also included "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke," "Temple Houston," "The Virginian," "Daniel Boone," "The Legend of Jesse James," "Laredo," "The Wild, Wild West," "Cimarron Strip," and "How the West Was Won".
Fisher appeared in these Western movies: "The Last Roundup" (1947), "Riders of the Pony Express" (1948), "Rio Grande" (1950), "Sergeant Rutledge" (1960), "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962), "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964), "The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin" (1967), "Cutter's Trail" (1969, TV), "Guns of a Stranger" (1973), "The Sacketts" (1979, TV) and "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" (1979).
Shug Fisher died on March 16, 1984. He was 76 years old.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Shug Fisher.
Paul Fix
(Deceased)
Paul Fix was born on March 13, 1901 in Dobbs Ferry, New York. He began his acting career in theatre groups in New York. But he was more interested in a film career, so he left for Hollywood in the 1920s. And he did good, appearing in more than 200 movies.
He is probably best remembered as the sheriff, Micah Torrance, on "The Rifleman" TV series. His other TV Western credits included "The Lone Ranger"; "Gunsmoke"; "Rawhide"; and "The Wild, Wild West".
Paul Fix was a close friend of super-star cowboy actor John Wayne. Consequently, he appeared in a number of Wayne's movies. And he reportedly taught John Wayne his unique walking gait.
His Western film credits included "The Desert Trail" (1935), "Yellowstone" (1936), "In Old Oklahoma" (1943), "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949), "Hondo" (1953), "Giant" (1956), "Nevada Smith" (1966), "Welcome to Hard Times" (1967), "The Undefeated" (1969), "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973), "Grayeagle" (1978), and "Wanda Nevada" (1979).
He was also a script writer.
Paul Fix died on October 14, 1983 in Los Angeles, CA. at age 82.
Alice Fleming
Alice Fleming, actress, was in several Western movies.
Eric Fleming
(Deceased)
Eric Fleming was born on July 4, 1925 in Santa Paula, CA. His father was a carpenter who moved the family wherever work could be found. They sometimes moved several times a year, so Eric did not complete high school.Instead, he served with the Seabees during World War II. After the war, he got a job as a stage hand in Hollywood. He got interested in acting, attended an acting school, and auditioned for a part and got it.
Eric Fleming is best known for his role as "Gil Favor," the no-nonsense foreman on the trail drive TV series, "Rawhide." His top hand was "Rowdy Yates," played by Clint Eastwood.
"Rawhide" was a top-rated TV show in 1959. It featured
Eric Fleming (right) and a young Clint Eastwood.Even after hitting it "big" in Hollywood, Eric Fleming never seemed to have much money. He was living in a converted garage in Hollywood Hills at the time of his death.
Eric Fleming was in Peru filming a movie when he acidentally drowned in the Huallaga River, about 220 miles north of Lima. His body was never recovered. That was on September 28, 1966.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Eric Fleming.
Rhonda Fleming
Marilyn Louis, better known as the former actress Rhonda Fleming, entered Beverly Hills High School in the fall of 1937. She transferred to a private school to complete her senior year in 1941.
She starred in 40 motion pictures, appeared in Broadway shows, performed in musicals and concerts and guest-starred on numerous major television shows.
Rhonda Fleming's first movie was "In Old Oklahoma" in 1943. Her other Western credits include "Abilene Town" (1946), "The Redhead and the Cowboy" (1950), "The Eagle and the Hawk" (1950), "The Last Outpost" (1951), "Pony Express" (1953), "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957), "Gun Glory" (1957), "Bullwhip" (1958), "Alias Jesse James" (1959) and "Backtrack!" (1969).
Fleming, now known as Rhonda Fleming Mann, has established herself as a major humanitarian and philanthropist. She and her fifth husband, movie theatre executive Ted Mann, founded and funded in April, 1994, the "Rhonda Fleming Mann Resource Center for Women with Cancer". It is located on the campus of UCLA.
Rhonda and Ted support many other charitable organizations as well, including: Childhelp USA, ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) and the French Foundation for Alzheimer Research. Rhonda is a Life Associate of Pepperdine University, a Lifetime member of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, a benefactor of the Los Angeles Music Center, a Member of the Board of Trustees of World Opportunities International and a Trustee of The UCLA Foundation.
CLICK HERE to go to the web site of the Rhonda Fleming Mann Resource Center.
CLICK HERE to view the complete filmography of Rhonda Fleming.
Curley Fletcher
(Deceased)
Curley Fletcher was an actor and songwriter. My ol' saddle pal Perry Williams, down Lubbock way, says that the very first cowboy poem he remembers is Curley Fletcher's "Strawberry Roan," and that was when he heard it played on a hand-cranked phonograph in the bunkhouse on his uncle's ranch. A long, long time ago.
Curley Fletcher published the above songbook in 1931. Hal Cannon wrote the preface of this recent edition. Among the titles: "Yavapai Pete," "The Ridge Running Roan," "The Flying Outlaw," and "The Cowboy's Soliloquy".
The Arizona Wranglers had such great success with Fletcher's "The Strawberry Roan" that another singing group, the Beverly Hillbillies, pressured Curley to do a song for them. The result was, "Ridge Running Roan." That was the first of several parodies of his original songs.
Curley Fletcher appeared in and/or wrote songs for these Western movies: Strawberry Roan (1933), The Roaring West (1935), Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts, Gunsmoke (1947), and The Rodeo King and the Senorita (1951).
On April 8, 1939 the first Intercollegiate Rodeo was conducted at the Godshall Ranch near Apple Valley, California. The students who competed came from just about every major college and university campus in the western United States. The young cowboys and cowgirls competed under the guidance of world champion professional cowboys. There to assist the pros and the students were none other than Western movie stars Harry Carey, Dick Foran, Curley Fletcher, Tex Ritter and Errol Flynn.
Flynn, Errol
(Deceased)
Errol Flynn was born on June 20, 1909 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Whether he had a little "Tasmanian devil" in his genes might be debated, but he did live life on the edge. When he family moved to England, he set a record for getting expelled from every school he ever attended there.
The young Flynn returned to Australian to hunt for gold. He wound up, not with a gold mine, but with a varied collection of jobs ranging from garbage collector to fisherman to sheep castrator. He finally returned to England, just a step ahead of some jealous husbands and a lawman or two.
Flynn, now a strapping 6' 2" tall, tried his hand at acting. He somehow got the part in the movie, "In the Wake of the Bounty" in 1933. And when executives at Warner Brothers saw him in it, they immediately brought him to America.
Errol Flynn used his handsome face and solid athletic ability to oust Douglas Fairbanks as the king of the swashbucklers, a rough and tough man with a softness for beautiful women.
The fact is that Flynn's off screen escapades in his own life were every bit as captivating as his on-screen roles. He was a prolific consumer of vodka and morphine. He was a rounder who fought with or without the dropping of a hat. And his sex life was one fling after another, numbering in the hundreds if not thousands. He was charged with statutory rape (i.e., having sex with underage girls) not once but three times, but escaped conviction.
And then middle-age set in and his knock-down good looks began to fade. The IRS came after him, while fewer directors did. He apparently wanted to be counted as a serious actor, but he couldn't slow down from his life in the fast lane. However, he did produce two novels and several magazine articles. And he wrote his autobiography, appropriately titled, My Wicked, Wicked Ways (1959; reproduced 1983).
Errol Flynn's Western credits included "Dodge City" (1939), "Virginia City" (1940), "Santa Fe Trail" (1940), "They Died With Their Boots On" (1941), "San Antonio" (1945), "Silver River" (1948), "Montana" (1950) and "Rocky Mountain" (1950).
Errol Flynn died of a heart attack in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Oct. 14, 1959. His remains are at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Garden of Everlasting Peace) in Glendale, CA.
CLICK HERE to go to the "Errol Flynn Picture Vault" web site for lots of photos of him.
CLICK HERE to go to the "Errol Flynn Library" web site, featuring books and articles about him.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Errol Flynn.
This listing is far from complete and may contain errors.
Therefore, all Western entertainers and/or their agents
are requested to submit recommended changes by
contacting Cowboy Stan through his e-mail address.
I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
--- Jesus the Christ (Bible: Gospel of John 3:5)
© 2003 by Stan Paregien
