Fess Parker R.I.P.

[Dave James]

The man who singlehandedly popularized coon skin clothing passed away today at age 85. Boy do I remember those Davy Crockett Disney shows. For a kid growing up back in the '50's, it didn't get any better than that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/arts/television/19parker.html?hpw

Edited March 19, 2010 by Dave James

[Jazzmoose]

And those of us a bit younger had Daniel Boone (though admittedly the Davy Crockett stuff was better!). Definitely an icon of my childhood.

[brownie]

Never cared much for Fess Parker. The Davy Crockett saga went past my youth.

The only thing I really remember about him is that his name was an embarrassment in France. Fess had the same sound as 'fesse' (buttocks).

His name had to be changed to Fier Parker in France. Fier (proud) was more becoming to an American hero!

The actor Fier Parker was quite popular here after the name change!

[AllenLowe]

I believe he had a hit record which I owned as a child - Jingle Jangle (I think it was a 78, not sure).

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Even though I was a child in the 60s, I had a coonskin cap. PETA would have poured blood over my head if I wore it today.

Today, Fess Parker is more known for his wines.

RIP Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.

[GA Russell]

I remember the Davy Crockett shows well. But it is a mystery to me how the whole coonskin cap thing took off on the basis of only three television episodes. (a fourth was made later). Did Estes Kefauver wear his coonskin cap before the Davy Crockett shows?

[Free For All]

I watched Daniel Boone when I was a kid.

Remember Ed Ames? Remember his tomahawk throwing stunt on the Tonight show? Remember his singing career?

RIP.

[BruceH]

And those of us a bit younger had Daniel Boone (though admittedly the Davy Crockett stuff was better!). Definitely an icon of my childhood.

When I was a little kid I used to get Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett mixed up. (The former was a "man---was a big man," the latter was king of the wild frontier. That's the way to keep'em straight.)

[Jim R]

Remember Ed Ames? Remember his tomahawk throwing stunt on the Tonight show?

For anybody who doesn't... Youtube to the rescue

[medjuck]

I'm the right age to have loved DAvy Crockett a a kid, however living in Santa Barbara when I hear "Fess Parker" I think of hotels and wine.

[Free For All]

Daniel Boone theme

[Dave James]

The last in the Davy Crockett series was called "The Riverboat Race". That one was my favorite. Davy raced pole barges against Big Mike Fink, King of the River. There's a scene in that one where he does some kind of Annie Oakley shooting by bouncing a bullet off a bunch of pots and pans. I've always remembered that. The interesting thing is that this episode was aired after Davy got killed at the Alamo. Now there's a man with staying power.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Today, Fess Parker is more known for his wines.

.....and they're pretty good. I've still got a 1994 Syrah and a 2006 Pinot Noir in the cellar ......but the Daniel Boone lunchbox is long gone (truth be told, a Wild, Wild West lunchbox was my first choice back then).

[Christiern]

Never came close to being my favorite Parker—matter of fact, I had a closer affinity for my Parker pen. And that tail on his head? Puleeeze!

[JSngry]

Remember Ed Ames?...Remember his singing career?

Who will answer?

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

And that tail on his head? Puleeeze!

Chris is still miffed that they didn't have the Dan'l Boone caps over in Denmark, so all he could wear to school was...

[Chuck Nessa]

Remember Ed Ames?...Remember his singing career?

Who will answer?

OK, I will. The Ames Brothers were MOR regulars before the show. Ed (the "handsome one") had a later solo career. His acting followed.

[Jim R]

Remember Ed Ames?...Remember his singing career?

Who will answer?

OK, I will. The Ames Brothers were MOR regulars before the show. Ed (the "handsome one") had a later solo career. His acting followed.

I remember a couple of Ed Ames' recordings from radio airplay and variety show appearances. For awhile there ('67?) we got runneth over by "My Cup Runneth Over". He also did a fair version of "Try To Remember", as I recall. The Ames Brothers were more off my radar.

[JSngry]

My dad loved The Ames Brothers, but they had BIG heads, so...you know...

[Dave James]

Remember Ed Ames? Remember his tomahawk throwing stunt on the Tonight show?

For anybody who doesn't... Youtube to the rescue

I may have said this before, but this clip shows you how really quick Carson was. Ed Ames' first reaction is to remove the tomahawk from the crotch of the outlined figure as quickly as possible. But, when Carson sees him start to move towards it, he practically grabs him and spins him around to keep him from doing something that would have trashed the comedic potential of what arguably winds up being THE signature moment in the entire history of The Tonight Show.

[Jim R]

My dad loved The Ames Brothers, but they had BIG heads, so...you know...

Upper right brother reminds me of Jimmy Dean; lower left looks a lot like... Gary Shandling.

[JSngry]

Brilliantly parodied on SCTV, this Ames Brothers song was:

[Jazzmoose]

My dad loved The Ames Brothers, but they had BIG heads, so...you know...

My dad had some Ames Brothers LPs as well, but in his defense, he also introduced me to Sarah Vaughsn, Ella Fitzgerald, Howard Roberts and a host of others...

[JSngry]

The Ames Brothers invented the Rock and the Roll, doncha' know: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLR4bmfo38M

And Ed Ames perfected it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ5MxSmOdOQ

[Dave James]

Now that's what I call cheesy. Besides, I put the calipers on the album cover and Ed's melon is 1.45X larger than the gal who shares the picture. The absolute limit I've set for myself to avoid frightening my friends is 1.30. I will not be getting this album,