Shug Fisher

Shug Fisher (born George Clinton Fisher Jr.; September 26, 1907 – March 16, 1984) was an American character actor, singer, musician, and comedian. During his 50-year entertainment career, he performed in many Western films, often as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers in serials and in B movies starring Roy Rogers. Fisher also was cast in supporting roles on a variety of television series, although most frequently on Gunsmoke and The Beverly Hillbillies. His comic trademarks included his ability to stutter at will and his bemused facial expressions.

Childhood and early years Fisher was born in Grady County, Oklahoma, in Tabler (near Chickasha) into a farming family, the youngest of four children born to a Scots-Irish father and a Choctaw Nation mother. His mother, Emma Harkins Fisher, is listed on the Dawes Rolls as one-fourth Choctaw by blood. He gained the nickname "Shug" (short for sugar) at a young age, which he explained as, "My mama gave it to me 'cause I was such a sweet baby." In 1917, the family moved by covered wagon to Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, near Indianola. Soon thereafter, Fisher was drawn to the mandolin and the fiddle. His father refreshed his own fiddling ability and Fisher learned guitar to back him, and at age 16, he was playing with his father at local square dances. He could not afford a fiddle case. so instead protected his instrument with a pillow case tied to the saddle horn.

After watching a comedian with a traveling medicine show in 1924, he decided to pursue a career in entertainment. As part of the ruse, the members always adopted hillbilly names, so Fisher became Aaron Judd and Carson was Kaleb Winbush.

Ohio Valley radio career In 1935, Fisher took an extended road tour with Roy Faulkner, the Lonesome Cowboy, from XERA-AM in Del Rio, Texas. During an appearance in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Fisher was approached by Hugh Cross to join him, under sponsorship of the Georgie Porgie Breakfast Food Company, as an act for WWVA Jamboree. Fisher agreed, and the two went to Wheeling, West Virginia. Under the moniker of Hugh and Shug's Radio Pals, a reflection of their frequent radio appearances, they performed with Mary Ann Vestes and recorded for Decca for four years, enjoying a faithful radio audience. Replacing Brady as bassist and comedian, Fisher eagerly joined Carson, Tim Spencer, Bob Nolan, and Hugh and Karl Farr late that year, having appreciated the band's music and personally known its members prior to the group's inception. During this tenure, the group appeared in a string of Roy Rogers movies, recorded songs for the John Ford movies Wagon Master in 1949 and Rio Grande in 1950, and performed the theme song for The Searchers in 1956.

Fisher wrote a number of songs for the Pioneers, including "Out on The Open Range", "Ridin' Down to Santa Fe", later recorded by Merle Travis, and "Forgive and Forget". In 1946, Fisher and Travis co-wrote "Cincinnati Lou". Fisher also wrote "That's My Paradise", "I'm Not Foolin' Now", "A Million Memories", "Pooey on You, Little Darlin'", a novelty song later recorded by Ken Curtis; and "Lonesome Train Blues"; and recorded "Gooseberry Pie" using his fake stuttering as a comedy device.

Fisher left the group in early 1946 when Brady returned from the war. In 1948, Capitol Transcriptions issued the album, Cowboy Jubilee, by Shug Fisher and his Ranchmen Trio. Fisher rejoined the Pioneers in 1949 when Brady left. The highlight of this era came in 1951, when they appeared at Carnegie Hall, making them the first Western band to perform there. and starred on Mutual Radio's Lucky U Ranch program. In 1953, Fisher left to join friend Ken Curtis in television and motion pictures, but again returned to the Pioneers in 1955, replacing Deuce Spriggens. He left the Pioneers for the last time in 1959, and welcomed the break to "kinda take it easy, and do a lot of hunting and fishing." He made 22 appearances on Gunsmoke from 1962 to 1974 in various minor roles, and played Shorty Kellems in 19 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies from 1969–70. Fisher also appeared repeatedly on Bonanza, The Virginian, Daniel Boone, and The Dukes of Hazzard.

Death Shug Fisher spent his final years living in Studio City, California. He died on March 16, 1984, after a lingering illness, with old friend Ken Curtis by his side in Woodland Hills in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Swing Your Partner (1943) - Himself Hoosier Holiday (1943) - Himself Jamboree (1944) - Himself The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944) – Bass Player Shug (uncredited) Song of Nevada (1944) – Shug – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) San Fernando Valley (1944) – Bass Player – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Lights of Old Santa Fe (1944) – Shug, Bass Player – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Grissly's Millions (1945) – Tim (uncredited) Utah (1945) – Bass Player – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Bells of Rosarita (1945) – Bass Player Shug, Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) The Man from Oklahoma (1945) – 'Shug' – Member Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Along the Navajo Trail (1945) – 'Shug' – Member Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Sunset in El Dorado (1945) – Shug – Member Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Don't Fence Me In (1945) – Shug – Bass Player – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Song of Arizona (1946) – Shug – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Ding Dong Williams (1946) – 'Shug' – Member Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Home on the Range (1946) – Shug- Member Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Rainbow Over Texas (1946) – Bass Player (uncredited) My Pal Trigger (1946) – Shug – Member Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Under Nevada Skies (1946) – Bass Player Roll on Texas Moon (1946) – Bass Player – Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) Heldorado (1946) – Stable Foreman (uncredited) Springtime in the Sierras (1947) – Shug – Member of Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited) On the Old Spanish Trail (1947) – Spectator (uncredited) The Last Roundup (1947) – Marvin (uncredited) Susanna Pass (1949) – Jailbird with Guitar (uncredited) Riders of the Pony Express (1949) – 'Doc' Baker Stallion Canyon (1949) – Red

Everybody's Dancin' (1950) – 'Shug' – Member Sons of the Pioneers Rio Grande (1950) – Regimental Singer / Bugler (uncredited) Silver City Bonanza (1951) – Bassist (uncredited) Fighting Coast Guard (1951) – 'Shug' – Member Sons of the Pioneers Mister Roberts (1955) – Johnson Pecos Pest (1955, Short) uncredited, voice of Uncle Pecos and music solos The Giant Gila Monster (1959) – Old Man Harris Sergeant Rutledge (1960) – Mr. Owens (uncredited) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) – Kaintuck (uncredited) Cheyenne Autumn (1964) – Skinny (uncredited) Git! (1965) – Sam Lewis The Cat (1966) – Bill Krim Cyborg 2087 (1966) – Short Station Attendant The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967) – Short Cowboy (uncredited) You've Got to Be Smart (1967) The Reivers (1969) – Cousin Zack Smoke (1970, TV Movie) – Leroy Cutter's Trail (1969, TV Movie) – Tuttle Guns of a Stranger (1973) – Shug Meadows Key West (1974, TV Movie) – Sam Olsen Hog Wild (1974, TV Movie) – Ropejon Castaway Cowboy (1974) – Capt. Cary Huckleberry Finn (1975, TV Movie) – Old Doc The Ghost of Cypress Swamp (1977, TV Movie) – Sherman Prather The 3,000 Mile Chase (1977, TV Movie) – Biker The Sacketts (1979, TV Mini-Series) – Purgatorie Barkeep The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) – Bartender Return of the Beverly Hillbillies (1981, TV Movie) – Judge Gillum

Television credits

Disneyland (1954) Perry Mason (1959) Ozark Jubilee (1955–1960) – Himself – Comedian Have Gun, Will Travel (1957) Bonanza (1961–1970) – Toler / Driver / Gibson's Partner / Jeff Ripcord (1962–1963) as Charlie Kern Gunsmoke (1962–1974) – Mule Skinner / Dobie Crimps / Obie / Jed Rascoe / Silas Shute / Chengra / Emery / Hank Cooters Temple Houston (1963) – Augie Wren Petticoat Junction (1963) – Salesman Tammy (1965) – Uncle Cully Daniel Boone (1965–1966) – Tolliver / Jake Tench / Blacksmith / Second Man / Blacksmith / Jake Tench The Virginian (1965–1971) – Tinker / Desk Clerk / Telegrapher / Mr. Peterson / Pony Bill Steele The Legend of Jesse James (1965) – Barber Laredo (1965–1967) – Old Charlie / Old Prospector / 1st Fighter

The Wild Wild West (1966–1967) – Jeremiah / Sheriff Blayne Cord The Monroes (1966) – Zeph Cimarron Strip (1967–1968) – Pinky / Smitty The Beverly Hillbillies (1969–1970) – Shorty Kellems / Scraggly Farmer Love, American Style (1972) – Abner (segment "Love and the Country Girl") This Is Your Life (1972) – Himself Kolchak: the Night Stalker (1975) – Pop Stenvold Petrocelli (1975) – Toot Gannon City of Angels (1976) – Whitey Hedges How the West Was Won (1978) – Ziggy Starsky and Hutch (1978) – Sam Ivers Lucan (1978) – Whiskey Bob The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) – Newtie / Homer Harper Valley PTA (1981) – Harry Haldeen (final appearance)