OK, this is bizarre. Festus Hagen a Son of the Pioneers.

[Doctor_J]

I was watching an excellent ep of Gunsmoke yesterday and Festus was over the top as usual. I decide to google Ken Curtis to see what he did before/after Festus. This page comes up:

http://www.eviltwin.velvetsofa.com/Curtis/main.html

He's a singing cowboy.

:shrug:

[doc03]

1. Love Gunsmoke, best western show of all time

IMHO. That's amazing that voice came from old Festus Hagan. Then again Gomer Pyle was quite a singer too he even looked goofy singing though.

[Doctor_J]

2. 600+ episodes. Great stuff.

:thumbsup:

[Dean Martin]

3. Ken Curtis sang in a Have Gun Will Travel Episode

Prior to playing Festus.

[Doctor_J]

4. The web site also says that he was a vocalist for Tommy Dorsey!!

Amazing. I vaguely remember Whirlybirds - I was born in 1957. I read a bio of John Wayne and Curtis was mentioned a few times in there, mostly by reason of his marriage to John Ford's daughter.