Sheb Wooley

Shelby Fredrick Wooley (April 10, 1921 – September 16, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He recorded a series of novelty songs, including the 1958 hit rock-and-roll comedy single "The Purple People Eater", and under the name Ben Colder, the country hit "Almost Persuaded No. 2". As an actor, he portrayed Cletus Summers, the principal of Hickory High School and assistant coach in the 1986 film Hoosiers; Ben Miller, brother of Frank Miller in the film High Noon; Travis Cobb in The Outlaw Josey Wales; and scout Pete Nolan in the television series Rawhide. Wooley is also credited as the voice actor who provided the Wilhelm scream and all of the other stock sound effects for Thomas J. Valentino's Major record label during the 1940s.

Early life Wooley was born in 1921 in Erick, Oklahoma, the third son of William C. Wooley and Ora E. Wooley. Wooley claimed to be part Cherokee. He had two older brothers, Logan and Hubert, and a younger brother, William. The three of them left Texas in 1950 and moved to Hollywood, California, where Wooley hoped to establish himself as an actor or singer in film or in the rapidly expanding medium of television. He started his recording career in 1945. country, hillbilly, rock and roll, pop and novelty songs. It was so successful that Wooley continued using the name Ben Colder, recording a parody of the hit "Achy Breaky Heart" with "Shaky Breaky Car".

In the late 1960s, Wooley wrote the theme song for the television series Hee Haw, and became a regular on that long-running series in the 1970s. He often appeared as the character Ben Colder, portrayed as a drunken country songwriter.

Wooley continued to tour internationally and make personal concert appearances until his death in 2003. Wooley recorded his last written song just four days before he died.

Acting career Film

Wooley appeared in dozens of Western films from the 1950s through the 1990s. He was in Rocky Mountain (1950), and he portrayed outlaw Ben Miller in High Noon (1952) and Baxter in Terror in a Texas Town (1958). He also acted in major films, including Giant, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Silverado, and Hoosiers.

Television

Wooley's work in syndicated TV Westerns series included appearances on The Range Rider, portraying outlaw Jim Younger on Stories of the Century (1954), and five appearances on The Adventures of Kit Carson (1951-1955). He appeared in The Lone Ranger episodes “Stage to Estacado” (1953), “Wake of War" (1953), "Message to Fort Apache" (1954), "Wagontrain" and "Wanted: The Lone Ranger" (1955). He portrayed Bill Bronson on The Cisco Kid, Harry Runyon in "The Unmasking" on My Friend Flicka, and Shev Jones in "The Iron Trail" on Cheyenne. He appeared twice on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Wooley's big break professionally came when he was cast as the drover Pete Nolan on Rawhide (1959–1965). Wooley also wrote and directed some of the episodes.

The "Wilhelm scream" Sheb Wooley is also credited as the voice actor for the Wilhelm scream, a stock recording used by sound-effects teams in over 200 films. Wooley originally performed the scream in the 1951 adventure film Distant Drums in which he had an acting role. Wooley's widow Linda Dotson confirmed Sheb performed the scream.

Personal life Wooley was married five times, first to Melva Miller in 1940. In 1946 he married Edna Talbott Bunt in Fort Worth, Texas. His third wife was Beverly Irene Addington; the couple adopted a daughter, Chrystie Lynn, and remained together for 19 years. In 1985, he married Deanna Grughlin. Last he married his manager Linda Dotson, who already had a daughter, Shauna.

Death Wooley was diagnosed with leukemia in 1996, which forced him to retire from public performing three years later. He was entombed in Hendersonville Memory Gardens in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Awards Wooley was the recipient of over the years for his accomplishments as a singer, actor, and writer for both comedic and dramatic productions. In 1968, he received the Country Music Association's Comedian of the Year award.

1955 "Are You Satisfied?"

"I Found Me an Angel"

"The Purple People Eater"

"The Chase"

"Santa Claus Meets the Purple People Eater"

"Sweet Chile"

"Luke The Spook" / "My Only Treasure"

"Pygmy Love" / "Careless Hands"

"That's My Pa"

That's My Pa and That's My Ma "Don't Go Near the Eskimos" (as Ben Colder)

Spoofing the Big Ones

"Hello Wall No. 2" (as Ben Colder)

"Still No. 2" (as Ben Colder)

"Detroit City No. 2" (as Ben Colder)

Spoofing the Big Ones 1964 "Blue Guitar"

The Very Best

"I'll Leave the Singin' to the Bluebirds"

single only "Almost Persuaded No. 2" (as Ben Colder)

Big Ben Strikes Again "Tonight's the Night My Angel's Halo Fell"

single only

"Tie a Tiger Down"

Warm and Wooley "Harper Valley P.T.A. (Later That Same Day)" (as Ben Colder)

"Little Green Apples No. 2" (as Ben Colder)

"I Remember Loving You"

Warm and Wooley "The One Man Band"

single only 1970 "Big Sweet John" (as Ben Colder)

Have One On 1971 "Fifteen Beers Ago" (as Ben Colder)

Live and Loaded

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1950 Rocky Mountain Kay Rawlins 1951 Apache Drums Townsman Uncredited 1951 Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison Chick Fullis Uncredited 1951 Little Big Horn Quince 1951 Fort Worth Outrider Uncredited 1951 Distant Drums Pvt. Jessup Uncredited 1952 Bugles in the Afternoon Gen. George Armstrong Custer Uncredited 1952 High Noon Ben Miller 1952 Hellgate Neill Price 1952 Cattle Town Miller 1952 The Lusty Men Gambler with Buster Uncredited 1952 Toughest Man in Arizona Army Officer Uncredited 1952 Sky Full of Moon Balladeer Voice 1953 Texas Bad Man Mack 1954 The Boy from Oklahoma Pete Martin 1954 Rose Marie Corporal Uncredited 1954 Arrow in the Dust Trooper Uncredited 1954 Johnny Guitar Posseman Uncredited 1954 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Minor Role Uncredited 1955 Man Without a Star Latigo 1955 Trial Butteridge Uncredited 1955 The Second Greatest Sex Silas - Jones City Leader 1956 Giant Gabe Target 1956 The Black Whip Bill Lassater 1957 The Oklahoman Cowboy Uncredited 1957 Trooper Hook Cooter Brown 1957 Ride a Violent Mile Jonathan Long 1958 Terror in a Texas Town Baxter Uncredited 1959 Rio Bravo Cowboy (scenes deleted) 1963 Hootenanny Hoot Himself 1966 Country Boy Sheb Wooley 1967 The War Wagon Snyder 1976 The Outlaw Josey Wales Travis Cobb 1986 Silverado Cavalry Sergeant 1986 Uphill All the Way Anson Sudro 1986 Hoosiers Cletus Summers 1988 Purple People Eater Harry Skinner