Fess Elisha Parker

 Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. (August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010)

He was a film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1954–1955 TV miniseries, and as Daniel Boone in the series from 1964 to 1970. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in the latter part of World War II, hoping to become a pilot. He was turned down because he was too tall at 6 feet 6 inches. He then tried to become a radioman gunner, but he was found too big to fit comfortably into the rear cockpit. He was finally transferred to the United States Marine Corps as a radio operator and shipped out for the South Pacific shortly before the atom bomb ended the war. Parker began his show-business career in summer 1951 when he had a $32-a-week job as an extra in the play Mister Roberts, although he is credited with the voice of Leslie, the chauffeur, in the 1950 film Harvey. Within months, he was on location with a minor part in Untamed Frontier with Joseph Cotten and Shelley Winters. Parker became a contract player with Warner Bros., appearing in small roles in several films such as Springfield Rifle (1952), Island in the Sky, The Bounty Hunter and Battle Cry. In 1954, he appeared as Grat Dalton in the Jim Davis syndicated Western anthology series Stories of the Century in the episode "The Dalton Brothers". His appeal with children was enormous with the coon-skinned hat, the #1 hit song "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett", The Davy Crockett Bubble Gum Cards and Comic Books. Fess appeared in other Disney movies dealing with the early years of Davey and also in non-Crockett parts such as Old Yeller (1957). By 1959, unable to achieve the success that he had gained as Crockett, his career had leveled off. He made guest appearances on a number of television shows, but his attempted return to television in the series Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1962) was not successful. Unable to procure the rights to play Crockett from Disney, Fess tried the frontiersman role once again with the TV series Daniel Boone.

After Daniel Boone, Fess retired from the screen and went into real estate, which was profitable. Parker also devoted much of his time to operating his Fess Parker Family Winery and Vineyards in Los Olivos, California. He was married from 1960 until his death in 2010, and had two children. Parker died of natural causes on March 18, 2010, at his home in Santa Ynez, California. He is buried at Santa Barbara Cemetery in Santa Barbara, California.