'Gunsmoke' Co-Star Ken Curtis Also Found Success In Western Movies And Country Music

Jul 21, 2020

You probably know Ken Curtis as the actor behind the fan-favorite character Festus Haggen on Gunsmoke and as the son-in-law of the legendary John Ford, director of many great Western films. But you may not know that he also had an amazing musical career as a country music singer where he was only one or two degrees of separation from both Roy Rogers and Frank Sinatra.

Ken Curtis was born on July 2, 1916, under the birth name Curtis Wain Gates. He grew up in the West, in Las Animas, Colorado, and his father was even sheriff of those parts.

However, Curtis left the back-country in 1940 in order to move to New York to pursue a musical career. There, he worked as a singer, performing for the NBC radio network where people first began to realize how talented he was.

By 1942, fame was knocking on his door, and he performed several songs with Tommy Dorsey's orchestra. At that time, it was actually Frank Sinatra who was Dorsey’s favorite vocalist.

While many people believed that Curtis stole Sinatra’s spot, in reality, there wasn’t much drama involved, and the controversy couldn’t diminish Curtis’ achievements with a fancy New York City orchestra.

Yet, Curtis’ career was put on hold as World War II raged, and he served as Army infantry soldier. After his stint in the military, Curtis went right back to show business and signed a huge deal with Columbia Pictures, and thus, his film career began!

Curtis snagged several roles in early Western films where he sang with other famous actors and groups of the time, including the popular Hoosier Hotshots and Carolina Cotton, that famous singing cowgirl. Curtis was able to land his first leading role in the 1945 film Rhythm Round-Up, which also starred the Western swing innovators Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.

Curtis' career continued to grow, and from 1949-1953, he was even the lead singer of The Sons of the Pioneers, a Country Music Hall of Fame-recognized group.

Before Curtis joined, this group was led by the amazing Roy Rogers, Bob Nola, and other cowboy legends. However, with Curtis front and center, the group came out with the chart-topping hit songs Ghost Riders in the Sky and Room Full of Roses.

As the 1950s rolled on, Curtis became one of Ford’s favorite actors, and he was featured in such films as John Wayne’s Rio Grande, The Searchers, The Wings of Eagles, The Quiet Man, How the West Was Won, and The Horse Soldiers. He even starred alongside Wayne in the classic film The Alamo.

Curtis then became a part of the Ford family when he married Ford’s daughter Barbara Ford, and their marriage lasted from 1950-1964. Curtis also built his own production company, which produced a bunch of golden age sci-fi B-films, including The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews.

In 1961, Curtis finally made his transition from the big screen to the small screen when he starred in the show Ripcord, which centered on parachuting. Then, in 1964, he made his debut on Gunsmoke, which was already on season eight.

His character, the tousled yet likable sheriff, remained on the show until it came to an end in 1975. Curtis also had smaller roles on the TV shows Death Valley Days and Perry Mason. Unfortunately, Curtis passed away in 1991, the same year his last film, Conagher was released.

What is your best memory of Ken Curtis? Did you know about his storied musical career? Or were you a fan of his character on Gunsmoke? Tell us all about your favorite Gunsmoke episode! Then be sure to pass this on to your friends and family!