You knew him as Davy Crocket and later Daniel Boone. 1950’s TV legend, Fess Parker, died yesterday at the age of 85. Parker died on the 84th birthday of his wife, Marcella. They have been married for 50 years.
Parker, after leaving the Hollywood scene, became a successful California businessman. He had ventures in wine making as well as property development. At the time of his death Parker was the proprietor of the Wine Country Inn and Spa as well as the DoubleTree Resort. Both of these resorts are in California.

At 6 foot 6, Parker made a dominant appearance on the television screen. Davy Crockett was a beloved character with a large viewing audience. In the 50’s the must-have toy was the Davy Crockett Coon Skin Hat. Parker stared as Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier with Buddy Ebsen playing his sidekick. The duo made a wonderful character combination and the fans adored them. Sadly, true to the real Davy Crockett’s life, his character died at the Alamo on the third episode of the show. Later, Disney created a show about Daniel Boone. Again, Parker was chosen to play this frontiersman. Boone was aired from 1964 to 1970. Often overlooked on his resume, Parker was also the star of Old Yeller.