'Davy Crockett' star Fess Parker dies

Fess Parker, the thesp who became famous for playing frontier legends Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone and went on to become a successful real estate developer, died Thursday at his home near Los Olivos, Calif. He was 85. Parker played the rugged folk hero in Disney's "Davy Crockett" series, which aired in the mid-1950s as part of the "Disneyland" anthology series on ABC. Parker's portrayal of the coonskin cap-wearing Western hero became an overnight sensation after the first installment, "Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter," aired in December 1954. Disney cashed in on robust sales of Crockett-themed merchandise, while Parker had a pop hit with his recording of the program's theme song, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett." Crockett's image and memorabilia remain a prominent feature of the Frontierland area of the Disneyland theme park. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Parker was discovered while at the U. of Texas where he studied drama and played football. His first film was an uncredited role in 1950's "Harvey." He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1950s to study drama at USC. He made his stage debut in an local production of "Mister Roberts" in 1951. Walt Disney picked Parker to play Davy Crockett after seeing him in sci-fi pic "Them!"...read more

Here's the theme song from the show. If you are in my age bracket you will easily remember the words.