Most of us remember the actor Ken Curtis as “Festus” on the long-running CBS television series, “Gunsmoke.” But before becoming an actor, Curtis performed with the Sons of the Pioneers from 1949 to 1953, as well as singing with the Tommy Dorsey band. In fact, he replaced Frank Sinatra in that band. The son-in-law of director John Ford, Curtis acted in many westerns including Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Searchers and How the West Was Won. But his fame came from Gunsmoke, where he played Matt Dillon’s jail custodian for eleven years in 239 episodes. Here’s another side of Ken Curtis.
Live From Germany 1986
(thanks Frank)
