Ken Curtis

Aliases: Gunsmoke's Festus Haggen
Ken Curtis and The Top Hands
Real name: Curtis Wain Gates
Born: July 2, 1916
Died: April 28, 1991
Country: United States
Comments: Singer, actor and musician from Colorado. In the early 1940s he was a big band singer with Tommy Dorsey and Shep Fields. After the end of World War II he began a career as an actor in Western films and television. In 1949 joined the Sons of the Pioneers as lead singer and stayed with then until 1953 when they changed labels from RCA Victor to Coral. His role as Charlie McCoy in the 1956 John Ford film, "The Searchers" is considered by many to be a model for his most famous role. For 11 years Ken Curtis played Festus on the highly popular network television series, Gunsmoke.
Member of: The Sons of the Pioneers (1949-1953, 1955-1957)