Who is Ken Curtis?
Ken Curtis was a famous actor, Singer, and Producer. Curtis graduated from Bent County High School, where he was the quarterback of their football team and played clarinet in the school band.
During World War II, he was enlisted in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945. Afterward, Curtis went to Colorado College with plans to study medicine; he soon left to pursue his musical career instead. Ken Curtis net worth has $5 million.
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Ken Curtis Bio/Wiki
| Gender: | Male |
|---|---|
| Birthname: | Curtis Wain Gates |
| Born: | July 2, 1916 |
| Age | 75 years |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Birthplace | Lamar, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | April 28, 1991 (aged 74) |
| Death Location | Fresno, California, U.S. |
| Occupation/Career: | Actor |
| Years active: | 1941-1991 |
| Known As | Curtis Gates |
| Born | July 02, 1916 |
| Cause of Death | Natural Causes |
| Star sign | Cancer |
| Education | Colorado College |
| Genre: | Country music |
| Instruments: | Voice |
Ken Curtis Early Life and Education
Ken Curtis was born in the small town of Las Animas, Colorado. His father was the local sheriff. During his high school years, he attended Bent County High School. Then, he moved on to Colorado Springs University to pursue medicine. During this time, he developed a keen interest in the entertainment industry, particularly singing.
He eventually left college to pursue his dream of acting further and soon made his debut with Columbia Pictures. He later worked with famed director John Ford on several films. Despite hailing from a small town and having an unsophisticated background, Curtis’ career blossomed as a big-band singer for Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra and as an actor portraying Deep South hillbilly characters.
Ken Curtis Age
His age was 75 years when he died.
Ken Curtis Height
His height was about 6 ft 0 in (183 cm).
Ken Curtis Spouse
He married in 1952 Barbara Ford and divorced in 1964, and Torrie Connelly, whom he married in 1966, was his first two marriages.
Ken Curtis Family
Curtis and Pauline “Polly” Brown married in 1956. He had two children, Susan (born 1959)and Angela (born 1961), both of whom suffered from cystic fibrosis. Tragically, Susan died at Central Maine General Hospital in Lewiston of respiratory failure in 1970. This prompted numerous monetary donations to the Curtis family from friends and political supporters.
They created the nonprofit organization the Susan L. Curtis Foundation and opened Camp Susan Curtis in Stoneham, Maine four years later to help economically disadvantaged children. Sadly, their second daughter Angela passed away at age 34 in 1996. The Curtises retired to Florida in 2017 before returning home to Scarborough.
Ken Curtis Children
Torrie Connelly and Curtis Connelly were married in 1966. Their marriage lasted until 1991, and he had two stepchildren
Ken Curtis Career
Ken Curtis, originally named Gates, was a singer and actor. He had a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1945 and starred in musical Westerns with the Hoosier Hot Shots. Formerly belonged to the Tommy Dorsey Band and succeeded Frank Sinatra as a vocalist until Dick Haymes. Curtis joined Shep Fields’ all-reeds band.
He married Lorraine Page at Universal Studios in 1943. From 1948 he was the featured singer and host of WWVA Jamboree’s country music radio program. Curtis worked with John Ford and John Wayne on the Rio Grand de and played Charlie McCorry on The Searchers. He acted uncredited as FBI Agent Jim Anderson in 5 Steps to Danger (1957).
A producer, he made two low-budget monster films: The Killer Shrews (1959) and The Giant Gila Monster,(1959). Last he co-starred opposite Sam Elliott for Louis L’Amour’s film adaptation Conagher as an aging cattleman.
Ken Curtis had both singing and acting careers; Columbia Pictures signed him to a contract in 1945 which saw him star in musical Westerns the Hoosier Hot Shots. Prior to this, he was part of the Tommy Dorsey Band from 1941. He adopted an all-reed band led by Shep Fields before marrying Lor.
Ken Curtis Movies and TV Shows
In 1945, Columbia Pictures signed Curtis to a contract and he became famous for starring in a series of musical Westerns. Through marriage, he was related to film director John Ford, who cast Curtis in the Rio Grande John Wayne. Curtis is mainly remembered for his roles as Charlie McCorry in classic films like
The Searchers
The Quiet Man
The Horse Soldiers
The Wings of Eagles
The Alamo
How The West Was Won
He worked with Henry Fonda and other stars like James Cagney, William Powell, and Jack Lemmon on Mister Roberts – the comedy Navy classic. He produced two low-budget monster pictures in 1959: The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster. In the adaptation of Louis L’Amour’s novel Conagher, Curtis starred opposite Sam Elliott as an elderly cattleman.
Ken Curtis Songs
Despite being Festus Haggen, Ken Curtis’ singing career was not put to an end. In fact, he even sang his own compositions on some rare occasions in his early Gunsmoke days. As proof of this, the episode “Once a Haggen” (1964) included several of his songs, including Six Shiney Black Horses which was composed by him.
During his time in Gunsmoke, he released two albums: Festus Sings ‘n Talks ‘Bout Dodge City ‘n Stuff and Gunsmoke’s Festus Haggen Calls Out Ken Curtis.
Ken Curtis Singer
He began his career in the early 1940s as a big band singer with Tommy Dorsey and Shep Fields. After WWII he focused on acting in Western films and television, he joined the Sons of the Pioneers as lead singer until 1953 when they moved labels to Coral.
His most famous role was that of Charlie McCoy in John Ford’s 1956 classic film “The Searchers,” which is regarded by many as exemplary.
Ken Curtis Cause of Death
Ken Curtis passed away on 28 April 1991. Fans have been searching for answers to how Ken Curtis died. During our search for information, we learned that Ken Curtis died of a heart attack.
Ken Curtis Net Worth
He was an American singer and actor, who had an estimated Ken Curtis net worth of $5 million. He is known for his role as Festus Haggen on CBS’s Gunsmoke (1959-1975) Jim Buckley in the TV series Ripcord (1961-1963) and Hoyt Coryell in The Yellow Rose (1983-1984).
Ken Curtis Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What was Ken Curtis net worth at death?
Ans: Ken Curtis net worth was $5 million as an American singer and actor. The actor, born in July 1916, died in April 1991 in Lamar, Colorado.
Q: How tall was Ken Curtis?
Ans: He was about 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) tall when he died.
Q: Why did Curtis leave Gunsmoke?
Ans: But Dennis Weaver’s fear of typecasting was the main reason he left his most famous role. He did not want to leave without a career-changing opportunity. His risky decision paid off for him even though it was risky.
Q: Did Ken Curtis have children?
Ans: There are two children and a wife left to mourn Curtis’ death.
Q: How did Ken Curtis Die?
Ans: At the age of 74 years he was dead due to a heart attack.
Q: At what age did Ken Curtis Die?
Ans: His age was 74 when he died.
