@@TheSharron Hi. I didn't know he lived her till after he died. Maybe it wouldn't have made a difference as it's easy to say I'd do something when I cannot NOW, but I'd sure like to have thanked him for his high standards work on gunsmoke. I never would have dreamed he could sing so beautifully. He also sang a song on a show called "have gun will travel". It was awesome. He played, as usual, a very uncouth sort of fellow and then he got all purtied (that's purr-teed) up and sang a song for a lady and just astounded me. That was actually the first time I heard him sing. So then I looked him up "ken Curtis sings" and found he was famous for singing with the sons of the pioneers many years ago. Incredible! Here is a link to him singing on have gun will travel: ruclips.net/video/s-EzH7VyNbk/видео.html I hope you like it!☺️🙏
@@rickhinojosa5455 I saw that episode,about a year ago and he is perfection.Thanks for posting it again...I had forgotten about it. Edited to say...he was a purty man,when gussied up!🥰
Ken Curtis was one of the best singers I have ever heard...So much smoother than today's "so called talent"...He didn't need tight pants or didn't need to be jumping all over the stage..I love listening to him sing....
Jo Stafford sang Tumbling Tumbleweed with the Pioneers backing her.When she found out they were looking for a new lead singer she recommended Ken and he recorded THIS with the Sons and they had a top 10 Country and pop hit with Ken's vocals.When Ms.Stafford was under contract to Tommy Dorcey and heard Sinatra was looking to leave Dorcey,she recommended Curtis to Dorcey and he did briefly replace Frank for 3 months until Sinatra returned after a contract dispute.Stafford heard Curtis when he sang as a staff radio singer.He was using his birth name Curtis Gates.Dorcey recorded 2 songs with him,one charted and had Gates change his name to Ken Curtis.With The Pioneers Curtis had a big pop and country hit with"I'll Take You Kathleen" from the Rio Grande soundtrack,from the John Wayne movie Rio Grande.The soundtrack produced a few other hit singles with Ken as lead singer.Room Full Of Roses was Ken's biggest hit record and with the Pioneers Ken performed featured vocalist and they were the 1st Country/Western group to perform at Carnegie Hall in 1950.Ken Curtis stated that was probably his greatest achievement in his show business career.Though as an actor he loved his Festus Hagen role on Gunsmoke.
He was a handsome man, as well as a fine actor & singer. Thanks for this fascinating information. Never knew the great Jo Stafford advocated so strongly for him. He really owed her a lot! 👏
Ken's was raised in our town Las Animas Colorado. His dad was the sheriff. The sheriff lived downstairs and the jail cells were on the second story. The old jail is still here.
Funny, my mom once said, Festus had a beautiful voice was quite the singer. I never realized he was part of the pioneers. He has such a beautiful timber to his voice. Hard to believe it is the same person. I am 55. I was probably in my 20's. Still learn something new every day.
Gee! What a HUNK he was in those days (before he grew the beard)! And a voice that could melt stones! Accompanied with the great Sons of the Pioneers makes this an everlasting classic!
I always loved the Sons of the Pioneers and never knew Ken Curtis was in the group. What an amazing voice he had and he sure could act too! And I forgot to mention that he was a very handsome man. I loved Festus in Gunsmoke, the best character if you ask me.
Our 100+ year old tradition in Fort Worth, the "Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show" is held annually here, and when I was about 12, my folks took me to the Rodeo. (This was approx. 1969), and after some events, the lights lowered, a mike was dropped down, and a man in Cowboy duds came out, the spotlight hit, and I'll never forget that the announcer introduced, "Ken Curtis," of "Gunsmoke" fame on TV, of which my Dad was a huge fan of that show. I can't remember if he wore his "Festus" duds, but either way, once he began singing, (after a kid's view of his raggedy "Gunsmoke" persona, I will NEVER forget seeing "Festus" singing, well, actually Crooning. Best of my recollection now that I'm 60 is, that he didn't sing a C/W tune, but a popular ballad. Anyway, my remembrance of Ken Curtis.
Wow! I love Gunsmoke and did not know that Ken Curtis was ona singing group and could sing so well. I do remember my Dad singing Cool Water when he was alive. These songs make me miss my Dad so much. He was a great bass singer. He was also my hero.
He started out as a singer. When Frank Sinatra left the Tommy Dorsey Band to go solo, Ken Curis took his place. That was before he took Roy Rogers place when he left Sons of the Pioneers.
What an awesome singer! Finding out Festus is a good looking movie crooner was like finding out that George " the Animal" Steele was a college professor of English literature! Strange, but true!
I was a kid when I first saw him in "Gunsmoke," but I wasn't an avid fan of the show then. Now, thanks to the INSP network, I started seeing episodes of "Gunsmoke," and I became a huge fan! And thanks to the internet, I now know how very versatile he was! The Sons of the Pioneers are part of a musical genre which I haven't been drawn to before, but thanks to Mr. Curtis, my musical horizon has just widened. 😀 Lovely song!
Ken had so much talent. IMO. a good actor/actress can make you forgot all their other roles, as you watch them act. But Ken!- this guy can appear as 2 totally different men! I'm 50, so I didn't encounter him till Gunsmoke reruns, in the mid- 70s. Until the late 80s, I never knew he had a Golden Voice!
Glenn Johnson Absolutely wonderful.You would just never believe he was Festus.Loved the Pioneers since i first heard them in the early 50`s and i dont know how many years it`s been since i`ve seen this film.Hope it`s available out there.Great to see Spade Cooley!Thanks for uploading this.
Great Trivia Quiz: What male crooner replaced Frank Sinatra at the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra? Answer: Ken Curtis. One and the same. Amazing. I was at the Great Exposition and Fat Stock Show, annual Fort Worth Big Event, and when I was 9 or 10, midway through the rodeo, the public speaker announced that "Festus" Ken Curtis from "Gunsmoke" was singing--don't remember the tune. But, to hear that Ken Curtis was to sing, it was like goofy Gomer Pyle, Jim Nabors, you'd NEVER know who can sing despite their theatrical persona.
My mom was a real Fan of Spade Cooley. I grew up listening to him, Lawerence Welk, and Jackson Sinclair (The Polka Parade). Through my Grandparents, add to that Hilo Hattie!
For him to have played Festus so very convincingly, what an actor!
Ken Curtis ended up living his last years here in Clovis, CA. We have a statue of him in the center of town honoring him. 🙏
I just had to look it up...they did a real good job of capturing his spirit.
@@TheSharron Hi. I didn't know he lived her till after he died. Maybe it wouldn't have made a difference as it's easy to say I'd do something when I cannot NOW, but I'd sure like to have thanked him for his high standards work on gunsmoke. I never would have dreamed he could sing so beautifully. He also sang a song on a show called "have gun will travel". It was awesome. He played, as usual, a very uncouth sort of fellow and then he got all purtied (that's purr-teed) up and sang a song for a lady and just astounded me. That was actually the first time I heard him sing. So then I looked him up "ken Curtis sings" and found he was famous for singing with the sons of the pioneers many years ago. Incredible! Here is a link to him singing on have gun will travel:
ruclips.net/video/s-EzH7VyNbk/видео.html
I hope you like it!☺️🙏
@@rickhinojosa5455 I saw that episode,about a year ago and he is perfection.Thanks for posting it again...I had forgotten about it.
Edited to say...he was a purty man,when gussied up!🥰
That is so awesome! Thank you for sharing!
@@marylarrimore3950 You're welcome!!!😃🙏
Ken Curtis has always been my favorite actor on Gunsmoke and what a beautiful voice he has! Very nice looking too.
Ditto!
@@sarajanesmith3892 ppl zee a
That he didn't win an emmy as Festus is a travesty.
@@Nclght Ill second that.
He was gorgeous when he was young.
I never heard him sing until five minutes ago. And I’m a baby boomer who grew up watching Gunsmoke! What a beautiful voice!
An excellent example of Sons of the Pioneers harmony and musicianship.
Ken Curtis was one of the best singers I have ever heard...So much smoother than today's "so called talent"...He didn't need tight pants or didn't need to be jumping all over the stage..I love listening to him sing....
Ken Curtis tem talento em dobro !
Me to he had a great voice
Ken replaced Frank Sinatra as lead singer in the Tommy Dorsey Band .
So do I
GUNSMOKE OVERLOOKED HIM!!!!!!!
Jo Stafford sang Tumbling Tumbleweed with the Pioneers backing her.When she found out they were looking for a new lead singer she recommended Ken and he recorded THIS with the Sons and they had a top 10 Country and pop hit with Ken's vocals.When Ms.Stafford was under contract to Tommy Dorcey and heard Sinatra was looking to leave Dorcey,she recommended Curtis to Dorcey and he did briefly replace Frank for 3 months until Sinatra returned after a contract dispute.Stafford heard Curtis when he sang as a staff radio singer.He was using his birth name Curtis Gates.Dorcey recorded 2 songs with him,one charted and had Gates change his name to Ken Curtis.With The Pioneers Curtis had a big pop and country hit with"I'll Take You Kathleen" from the Rio Grande soundtrack,from the John Wayne movie Rio Grande.The soundtrack produced a few other hit singles with Ken as lead singer.Room Full Of Roses was Ken's biggest hit record and with the Pioneers Ken performed featured vocalist and they were the 1st Country/Western group to perform at Carnegie Hall in 1950.Ken Curtis stated that was probably his greatest achievement in his show business career.Though as an actor he loved his Festus Hagen role on Gunsmoke.
Thanks man.
Great singer good actor !
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
He was a handsome man, as well as a fine actor & singer. Thanks for this fascinating information. Never knew the great Jo Stafford advocated so strongly for him. He really owed her a lot! 👏
He has me a fan whether he is singing or acting
There is no such thing as "too much Ken Curtis." Ken Curtis and The Sons of the Pioneers? Gorgeous. Thank you for posting this beautiful song.
You're welcome!!
I LOVED HIM AS FESTUS TOO.
pTheShizue777 p
TheShizue777 📱syrupy has g6h
Don’t forget the many movies with John Wayne.
Beautiful. So much better than today's #$%@.
Man, Ken sure has a tremendous voice. He doesn't over project just him and THE voice.
Yes
Ken's was raised in our town Las Animas Colorado. His dad was the sheriff. The sheriff lived downstairs and the jail cells were on the second story. The old jail is still here.
That's so cool
Thank you for this video. My Uncle Tim Spencer is standing next to Ken Curtis. My Uncle Tim wrote the song, Room Full of Roses.
So cool!
on which side of Ken is your uncle? At time 1:28 one guy is partly hidden by Ken and the other on the right you can see his belt buckle.
Funny, my mom once said, Festus had a beautiful voice was quite the singer. I never realized he was part of the pioneers. He has such a beautiful timber to his voice. Hard to believe it is the same person. I am 55. I was probably in my 20's. Still learn something new every day.
This is some of the best music I grew up with!! What a handsome cowboy... Ken Curtis!!
I’m swooning. I love, Ken Curtis both handsome and very talented.
LOVE their harmony..nothing like several guys or gals singing in harmony
That is Barbershop Singers too !
Call me a sucker. I like this kind of music. The Sons of the Pioneers is an all time favorite.
Gee! What a HUNK he was in those days (before he grew the beard)! And a voice that could melt stones! Accompanied with the great Sons of the Pioneers makes this an everlasting classic!
True superb words a and music
Very sexy man even with the beard. His voice is awesome....SWOON!
I have to agree with you on that!
Your captivating comment makes your sincere appreciation shine
Doesn’t he just make you melt?His voice is like butta!🥰
God really did bless Ken with the sweetest voice
I always loved the Sons of the Pioneers and never knew Ken Curtis was in the group. What an amazing voice he had and he sure could act too! And I forgot to mention that he was a very handsome man. I loved Festus in Gunsmoke, the best character if you ask me.
Before that he took Frank Sinatra's place with the Tommy Dorsey Band when Sinatra left to go solo.
He was fabulous. His voice was dreamy and that fiddle player too. What a wonderful artist and character! Genius
"... that fiddle player" is Hugh Farr.
Another great song by a gifted group of singers. Especially Ken
Our 100+ year old tradition in Fort Worth, the "Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show" is held annually here, and when I was about 12, my folks took me to the Rodeo. (This was approx. 1969), and after some events, the lights lowered, a mike was dropped down, and a man in Cowboy duds came out, the spotlight hit, and I'll never forget that the announcer introduced, "Ken Curtis," of "Gunsmoke" fame on TV, of which my Dad was a huge fan of that show. I can't remember if he wore his "Festus" duds, but either way, once he began singing, (after a kid's view of his raggedy "Gunsmoke" persona, I will NEVER forget seeing "Festus" singing, well, actually Crooning. Best of my recollection now that I'm 60 is, that he didn't sing a C/W tune, but a popular ballad. Anyway, my remembrance of Ken Curtis.
Ran into Ken at our state fair many years ago - he was a true gentleman!
Saw him and Doc at a fair in Greeley, Colorado, many moons ago..good times! He was born and raised in Lamar, his Dad was the sheriff I think…💫
Wow! I love Gunsmoke and did not know that Ken Curtis was ona singing group and could sing so well. I do remember my Dad singing Cool Water when he was alive. These songs make me miss my Dad so much. He was a great bass singer. He was also my hero.
He started out as a singer. When Frank Sinatra left the Tommy Dorsey Band to go solo, Ken Curis took his place. That was before he took Roy Rogers place when he left Sons of the Pioneers.
Curtis was in a league with Jim Nabors and Frank Fontaine, actors who talked funny but sang beautifully. Curtis was the best IMHO.
Ken and The Sons of The Pioneers were the first real warmth in song I remember emitting from the radio back in the '40s when I was a wee one.
Never knew festus was a singer WOW what a voice im gonna have to look up Ken's music now my favorite one on gunsmoke!!!
Great singer, great actor .I have always enjoyed all of his performances.
Great performance by the Sons of the Pioneers with Ken Curtis. Fantastic to see again.
What a delight. I'd never known...or had forgotten...that Ken Curtiss has been a singer. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Velvet voice and so handsome! ❤
I loved his voice! Wonderful singer and great actor.
I only knew Ken Curtis as Festus. What a great voice he has!
This is Awesome! I had no idea he acted as Festus. I have listened to the Sons of Pioneers since I was a child.. My favorite song. Trees
Handsome man ! Great voice !
Beautiful music; Ken’s singing was outstanding.
Love to hear him Sing 😊 Love watching him on Gunsmoke 😊
I listened to a bunch of different singers do this song. Ken is the best.
Beautiful ❤😃👍🏼
"well Matthew..i told you i could sing"...
Good one 👍
Dang Ken can just sing like it’s nothing he would blow everyone out the water nowadays
One of many songs my dad used to sing. I’d forgotten about this one.
What an awesome singer! Finding out Festus is a good looking movie crooner was like finding out that George " the Animal" Steele was a college professor of English literature!
Strange, but true!
He's sooooo good! I can't get enough of him! I play his room full of roses over and over.
OMG! That's Ken Curtis in front of Roy Rogers? WOW! I always loved that group.
That’s Tommy Doss, not Roy Rogers behind Ken.
Love this so much!
I was a kid when I first saw him in "Gunsmoke," but I wasn't an avid fan of the show then. Now, thanks to the INSP network, I started seeing episodes of "Gunsmoke," and I became a huge fan! And thanks to the internet, I now know how very versatile he was! The Sons of the Pioneers are part of a musical genre which I haven't been drawn to before, but thanks to Mr. Curtis, my musical horizon has just widened. 😀 Lovely song!
"Cornbread & Buttermilk (And Good Old Greasey Greens) is my favorite
Ken was absolutely Amazing !!!!
Growing up watching reruns of Gunsmoke I developed a crush on Ken aka Festus.
He is fantastic!!,
I am speechless...and thrilled...😍
The gentleman that just sat down is also a great country music musician - Spade Cooley. Watched his band back in the late 50s and early 60s. as well.
He died in prison. Killed his wife. Festus would never do that!
Mr. Ken Curtis I love you on Gunsmoke. I loved your voice. You were great. You left this world too soon. Lv u P Drozd
They sang very well! My Grandmother loved these guys and she got me listening too!!
this song came on the radio once and my wife looked at me and said looks like they wrote your story. we both started laughing 😁
What a talented man!
Ken had so much talent. IMO. a good actor/actress can make you forgot all their other roles, as you watch them act. But Ken!- this guy can appear as 2 totally different men! I'm 50, so I didn't encounter him till Gunsmoke reruns, in the mid- 70s. Until the late 80s, I never knew he had a Golden Voice!
Excellent!!!
Glenn Johnson Absolutely wonderful.You would just never believe he was Festus.Loved the Pioneers since i first heard them in the early 50`s and i dont know how many years it`s been since i`ve seen this film.Hope it`s available out there.Great to see Spade Cooley!Thanks for uploading this.
Glenn Strange was Sam Noonan, the bartender, on Gunsmoke. Ken Curtis wss Festus Hagan. Loved them both!
@@susanwyatt7546 Sure right there,Susan.Wonderful times.
Was my late Father in laws favorite song.
Great Trivia Quiz: What male crooner replaced Frank Sinatra at the
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra? Answer: Ken Curtis. One and the same. Amazing.
I was at the Great Exposition and Fat Stock Show, annual Fort Worth
Big Event, and when I was 9 or 10, midway through the rodeo, the public
speaker announced that "Festus" Ken Curtis from "Gunsmoke" was
singing--don't remember the tune. But, to hear that Ken Curtis was to
sing, it was like goofy Gomer Pyle, Jim Nabors, you'd NEVER know who can
sing despite their theatrical persona.
He was quite the actor. His whole look changed when he sang!
Fantastic!
He sang with The Pioneers - WOW!
Ken Curtis has to be one of THE finest actors of all time...and great singer / entertainer too.
WOW...didn`t know this song was that old
My mom was a real Fan of Spade Cooley. I grew up listening to him, Lawerence Welk, and Jackson Sinclair (The Polka Parade). Through my Grandparents, add to that Hilo Hattie!
i love ken loved him in gunsmoke roy rogers was my hero growing up
Great singing, was that also Spade Cooley?
Yes, Spade
So smooth.
He had a beautiful voice.
Still had a great voice in his Gunsmoke days I believe in 1966 started off an episode singing at a funeral
me and my huband doug injoy watching the gunsmoke reruns on inspirational channel festus our favorite charector
Love the “SEARCHERS “. A-1 MUSIC
I love Ken
Saw him and Doc at a fair in Greeley, Colorado many moons ago, good times!!! He was born in Lamar, I think hid Dad was Sheriff there?💫✨
Good memories of my Mom ,she loved this song. Thank you.
What a shockingly pleasant revelation. Good old Festus.
Ken Curtis, ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Ken curtis was a wonderful singer.
What a pretty precision!!!
He warms my heart
That Pioneer family sure raised some talented sons. lol
legends never dies
What such talents Roy and Ken and the Rest
I did not know Ken was with the Pioneers
I was thinking that was Roy, but wasn’t sure. Thanks
Looks a little like Roy, but I don’t think so.
I believe Roy was out of the Pioneers for several years by the time Ken Curtis joined.
That’s Tommy Doss next to Ken Curtis
Ken Curtis , Very good!
My favorite
KEN Curtis song Is Kool clear water such a voice
My Grandmother loved these fellas.......
Smooth as silk, that Frstus Haggen is.
I Love Festus. He has such a nice voice.
Well done!
Some great voices,, look um up👍
My favorite.
As if they came to bring beauty from heaven
Beautiful absolutely
Ken Curtis has to be the best singer I have ever heard.
One of the best
So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song. How are you?
🤩 I can now understand April from Gunsmoke. 😍