Sheb Wooley
| Sheb Wooley | |
|---|---|
Wooley in 1971
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Shelby Fredrick Wooley |
| Also known as | Ben Colder |
| Born |
April 10, 1921 Erick, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | September 16, 2003 (aged 82) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, pop music |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1955–1971 |
| Labels | MGM |
Shelby Fredrick "Sheb" Wooley (April 10, 1921 – September 16, 2003) was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty song "The Purple People Eater". He played Ben Miller, brother of Frank Miller in the film High Noon, played Travis Cobb in The Outlaw Josey Wales, and also had a co-starring role as scout Pete Nolan in the television series Rawhide.
Wooley is also credited as the voice actor who produced the Wilhelm scream sound effect.
Wooley was born in Erick, Oklahoma, and was raised on a ranch. He learned to ride horses at an early age and was a working cowboy and rodeo rider. He also played in a country-western band. Wooley tried to enlist during World War II, but was turned down for military service because of his rodeo injuries. Instead, he worked in the oil industry and as a welder. In 1946, he moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and became a country and western musician. He married Edna Ethel Bunt in Fort Worth and they moved to Hollywood in 1949. When they crossed the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine on Christmas Day 1949, it was snowing.
Wooley appeared in dozens of Western films from the 1950s through 1970s, most notably High Noon. In 1950, he appeared in Rocky Mountain with such veteran actors as Errol Flynn and Slim Pickens. In 1954, he played outlaw Jim Younger in the syndicated Western series Stories of the Century. Wooley appeared four times in the syndicated Western series, The Range Rider, starring Jock Mahoney and Dick Jones. He appeared in a 1953 episode of the The Lone Ranger entitled "Wake of War" and another episode entitled "Message to Fort Apache" in 1954. He appeared five times between 1951 and 1955 in another syndicated series, The Adventures of Kit Carson. He guest starred in The Cisco Kid in the role of Bill Bronson and as Harry Runyon in the episode "The Unmasking" of the CBS Western My Friend Flicka. In 1958, he played Baxter in the movie Terror in a Texas Town. He appeared twice in the ABC Western series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.
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