Fess Parker

Fess Elisha Parker Jr. was born on August 16, 1924, in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up on a farm near San Angelo. Towering at 6’6″, he enlisted during World War II, first trying to become a Navy pilot, but being too tall for the cockpit. He served as a radio operator—first in the Navy, then transferred to the Marines—and was honorably discharged in 1946.

Using the GI Bill, Parker earned both undergraduate and master’s degrees in Texas and California. In 1951, he landed a role as an extra in the play Mister Roberts, earning $32 a week. In the early ’50s, he appeared in small parts in films like Springfield Rifle, Island in the Sky, The Bounty Hunter, Battle Cry, and the sci-fi flick Them!—the latter catching Walt Disney’s attention.

In 1955 Disney cast Parker as Davy Crockett in Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier. The role ignited a nationwide craze: coonskin caps, comic books, bubble gum, hit songs (including Parker’s own version of The Ballad of Davy Crockett), and roaring popularity. Though the Crockett storm faded by 1956, Parker was already a household name.

Typecast by Disney and limited in roles, he felt creatively stifled—turning down minor parts and eventually leaving the studio. From the late ’50s into the early ’60s, he appeared in feature films and shows for Paramount, including Annie Oakley, The Jayhawkers!, Hell is for Heroes, and a short-lived Mr. Smith Goes to Washington series.

His next big break came in 1964 with Daniel Boone, which ran for six seasons and 165 episodes. Parker co-starred, directed several episodes, and co-produced and co-owned the series, landing a lucrative stake and creative control. He appeared in just one film during this time, a Western tale called Smoky.

Retiring from acting at age 49, Parker embarked on a second career as a businessman. In the 1970s, he developed real estate projects and, in 1985, opened the DoubleTree Resort in Santa Barbara. In 1988, he and his wife bought a 714-acre ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley and launched the Fess Parker Family Winery and Vineyard. What began modestly grew into a thriving enterprise spanning hundreds of acres—and included a tasting room, inn, spa, and restaurant. His children and grandchildren continue to run the family venture.

Fess Parker died of natural causes on March 18, 2010, at age 85 in Santa Ynez, California. He left behind a remarkable legacy: from frontier icon to visionary entrepreneur, his coonskin-cap persona shaped a generation, and his wineries and resorts transformed California’s coastal wine country.