Ken Curtis at Home on the Range

[ecco419]

Sometimes I wish I were born in this era so I could grow up listening to the classics D:

[Travelcraft1987]

To hear Ken Curtis sing this song and then hear him talk on Gunsmoke you wouldn't think it was the same person.

[jwbaker1000]

thin ken had a show called RIPCORD

[jwbaker1000]

i believe the show with larry pernell was called rip cord.

[jwbaker1000]

i believe the show with larry pernell was called rip cord

[Joe24Law]

Thanks for posting this, Curleyb3. I'm about three weeks short of 65 years old, and I watched and enjoyed Gunsmoke for years. Festus was one of my favorite characters on the show; Ken Curtis was great at that. Of course, he was a very, very talented singer, too.

[E7USMCRET]

I'm a Retired Marine, I'll be 65 this year, I've Loved The Son's of the Pioneers since I was a very young boy. You Guys are right about Youtube, I Love it too! Sure a lot of nice people that post all the things on here. First thing I do when I get on the net is go to Youtube and type in "The Searchers" ending, I love the way the The Sons of the Pioneers sing "What Makes a Man to Wander".

[breton135]

I never knew Ken could sing till i heard him on a couple Gun Smoke shows and once on the movie (The Searchers) Lord how i wish i could have heard him sing in person - WHAT A VOICE-

[dondon8978]

ken also had a series before gunsmoke i thank he was with larry pernell from beverly hillbillys

[TheSdenne]

Amazing! I only knew him as Festus. I really missed the best part of his career... MUSIC! I had no idea. Thanks.

[jessthehorse]

I second what Buddy said below - these are treasures and Ken Curtis was wonderful!

[buddybleau]

My wife hates to see me go on YouTube because she knows I will surely weep. lol.

[Hnight07]

That was beautiful

[rkaasm]

Thank you Mr. Curtis. Rest in blissful peace.

[KRAZZYMF]

wow! I diden't know he sang,what a wounderful singer!!

[navydoctrinidad]

Wonderful music. Good for everyone to hear. Used to be an American standard.

[navydoctrinidad]

You guys have got it exactly right. I am 79, retired Navy. It is most certainly the only place to find the music we grew up with. There has been no real music since the late 50's. God bless you all.

[Mell1888]

Voice of an angel RIP Ken

[DammitDrag]

My heroes have always been coboys but sadly the era of cowboys has passed away like all my heroes.

[wizzard1956]

not true in roswell new mexico, Im a range detective, on a local ranch , yeh we still shoot rustlers , no police , just old west justice, . . Im not joking, . .

[DammitDrag]

I'm glad to know the spirit of the cowboy is alive and well in New Mexico.

[CuriousbyChance]

I'm 29 here in W-S, NC and my mother grew up watching all kinds of westerns, so she put me on. I still, til this day watch Gunsmoke and Bonanza everyday at 1:00. We'll watch them over and over, and over and over...u get my drift...

[mcdade10]

Get a life,... u get my drift...

[CuriousbyChance]

mutha-fuck you...i don't even know why u sending me a mssg. i didn't come at you wrong...u really need to get a life it you mssging me on some dumb shit...bitch....if that's the case why are you even on this channel? u must not have a life if you reading what the fuck i'm writing...punk ass chewbaca looking fagot! now think about that while trying to find ur got-damn life...cunt!

[maeuschen64]

hallo, this is such wonderful lied....

do you also have text in addition??

if you became him to me ask can send if you him has...

would please me very much about it.

wonderful video. has thanks to for

this wonderful minuten. dear one greets maeuschen64

sorry mine english is not so well:-(

[KsFlowerchick]

Wow, I never knew he could sing. : )

[Barefootlarry]

He was hired by The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra to replace Frank Sinatra, singing Big Band Jazz. When Sinatra changed his mind about leaving, Dorsey sold the contract to another bandleader. He married John Ford's daughter, which got him in several John Wayne movies. He played Captain Dickenson in John Wayne's "The Alamo", and was in several of the cavalry movies that Ford directed. He played the part of "Regimental Singer" in "Rio Grande", along with some others from The Sons Of The Pioneers.

[rockgor]

Thanks for the history, Barefootlarry. Just read

a book about all the singing cowboys including

Ken.

The singing cowboy movies are gone; probably

forever. Roy and Gene were my heroes when

I was a kid.

Tx 4 the post

[Barefootlarry]

"Thanks for the history"

He is amazing, but what amazes me MOST is that *I* never knew he was alive until he started up on Gunsmoke. Now I see him in so many John Wayne movies, that I can't BELIEVE I never connected him with any of those movies.

Dorsey sold his contract to Shep Fields and I recently found a video here of him singing for Shep Fields. Bob Hope sang "Thanks For The Memories" in "The Big Broadcast Of 1938", with The Shep Fields Orchestra backing. Origin of Hope Theme song!

[Nashcountryboy]

Gee...I am only 48 but was a HUGE Gunsmoke fan when I was a boy. I NEVER knew that FESTUS (Ken Curtis) was such a great singer and I certainly didn't know he was in the Sons of the Pioneers. He sounds FANTASTIC here!

[Barefootlarry]

"didn't know he was in the Sons of the Pioneers"

In Rio Grande, they have all of the Sons Of The Pioneers serenading Wayne & O'Hara. There Is Ken Curtis, both Farr brothers, and Shug Fisher.

Like The Texas Playboys, they started out as a quartet, then grew larger & larger over the years. I seem to recall Bob Wills having 27 Texas Playboys in the band during one period.

Curtis sang in "The Alamo", but the scene was cut, to shorten the film. It's here on Youtube, though.

[pineappleschool7]

An unforgettable era has faded in the sunset. Thanks to youtube that we can take a journey back into some of life's fondest memories.

[flyingbluegoose]

its to bad that you have to remove this song and vidio for its a song one doesn't hears that offen now days

[estelle715]

You cannot find truer classic American music as this,as we were the only country to have the western expansion(well almost) but the others didn't write music about it as we did. Thanks!

[afsheenmayahi]

This is healing for a tired ol soul absolutely wonderful .

[bassingal89]

These wonderful videos makes my heart sad because the kids of today have no intrest in this sweet music that calms the soul, thank you for sharing. I grew up listening to Sons of the Pioneers, Roy & Dale & Gene were my heros

[ImoshinaixHana]

I'm 17 years and I think this song is beautiful :)

[buddybleau]

I am a 68yr. old veteran and I must add this comment. YouTube is the most wonderful website on the internet. I write this with tears in my eyes. Only on YouTube could one get such wonderful performances for free. I'll am willing to bet that YouTube touches more hearts than any other form of information. I am so very, very grateful to this website. I don't have a whole bunch of time left and I can think of no better way to spend it than reminiscing here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[curleyb3]

Thanks for the comment. Ray, I'm 85 now and still going. Thanks for the computer and YouTube. In my opinion It's better than Medication. I am also Grateful to YouTube.

[MugsySkull]

You can say that again "buddybleau"! I grew up watchin' "Gunsmoke" and just discovered free episodes on TVLand's website. I remember my folks playin' Ken Curtis' songs. Nobody could sing like him and tain't been none since! As "Festus" would say, his singin' was "Soulsome"!

[stephens1949]

@buddybleau A 61 yr old vet that agrees with you!

[sondog69]

Great to see and hear Ken Curtis also was in "The Quiet Man2

[supersexy1258]

I would like to find "Aha San Antone" performed by Ken Curtis, Ben Johnson and others in "Rio Grande."

[pascanal]

superb vocals,but please if possible post a clip of him singing this song with the"sons of the pioneers in the movie "Rio Grande",once again,thanks for keeping this form of singing in the public eye!

[sat233238]

That is my favorite song of the movie as well..if you check amazon for the movie therea are free 30 sec clips of the movie music available ..

[pascanal]

hi there and thanks for your notice,it's good to know that someone else appreciates top draw vocals.I have the soundtrack for the movie so that anytime i want to hear singing that makes the hair stand up on the back of the neck, i slip it on, regards,pascanal.

[Labaron26]

This is great. I had an album of the "Sons of the Pioneers" when recordings came in 78s and were stuffed inside sleeves inside the album. Usually about 5 or 6 records came in an album, front and back equaled 10 or 12 songs. Quite a difference from today's CDs. In case you wondering, I am 73 years old.

[curleyb3]

Thanks for your comment. I also have a 78 record of The Sons of the Pioneers. They are the best and got me started in trio harmony and went on the radio.

[jusprazem]

we marched that song my senior year in high school in 98. im use to seeing ken in those roles in which he plays silly. do you have any interviews

[curleyb3]

Thanks for your comment. No I don't have any interviews on Ken, but if I come across one I will post it. He has a Golden voice and God has blessed him with his talent.

[huehnerfuss]

Thanks for this!

[98oilk]

Ken Curtis' character 'Festus' maybe took our thoughts away of the fact how skilful and talented singer KEN CURTIS actually was!

[pascanal]

at last, i,ve found somone who acknowledges that this guy was a wonderful singer,i recommend movies such as "the searchers" and "rio grande" to listen to him with the"sons of the pioneers".

[curleyb3]

I just took your advice and upgraded the music from the Searches. Beautiful Harmony.

[Roadsidepictures]

Thanks so much for this! I knew him during my childhood as "Festus" and had no idea that he could sing until I was older.