TV Western Legend, James Drury, Passes Away At 85

Apr 07, 2020

James Drury, the actor best known for his role as the stolid cowboy in the long-running NBC western The Virginian passed away on Monday, April 6, 2020. Karen Lindsey, Drury’s assistant, confirmed the tragic news to USA Today, stating “he died early Monday morning at his home in Houston, Texas, of natural causes.”

As a tribute to the late actor, we’ll take a look back at his successful career during which he appeared in multiple TV westerns and starred alongside famous musicians such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

Before James Drury made a name for himself as the star of the TV western The Virginian, he appeared in multiple productions for the big screen. While he was acting in feature films he actually starred alongside some famous musicians as he appeared in The Tender Trap that also featured Frank Sinatra and Debbie Reynolds. He also played a role in  Elvis Presley’s Love Me Tender in which he appeared as the country legend’s brother.

Despite his quite impressive appearances in productions for the big screen, most people know James Drury from the NBC western The Virginian in which he played the lead role – a stolid cowboy whom everybody called "The Virginian.” 

The western series ran from 1962 to 1971 for nine seasons and 249 episodes. Every single episode was about as long as a feature film back then. When interviewed about his time on the show by the Cowboys & Indians Magazine in 2016 James Drury recalled: 

“It was like doing a movie every week. We had 79 minutes and 30 seconds worth of film, which was as long as a lot of feature films of the day,” he said. “It was a very radical concept.”

Drury actually had true cowboy blood running through his veins as his grandfather was a true rancher. In an interview with Capital Press in 2014 the actor revealed that the experiences with his grandfather helped him portray a cowboy in The Virginian: 

“I patterned my Virginian character after my maternal grandfather, John Hezekiah Crawford, an Oregon dirt farmer and rancher who raised cattle. He came out to Oregon with a wagon train in 1880 or 1875. Drury recalled. “Granddad put me on my first horse when I was in diapers.”

Drury was simply destined to appear in TV westerns and play a cowboy! Therefore the actor didn’t only star in The Virginian but was also cast in other western related TV and film formats. Amongst others, he appeared in The Rifleman, Wagon Train, or Gunsmoke.

It’s sad to realize that "the Cowboy took his last ride" as Karen Lindsey phrased it in her statement on the Drury’s official website. James Drury was an icon in the history of TV westerns and will always be remembered.

Were you a fan of the legendary western-star? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to help keep Drury’s memory alive.