I remember one of my cousins in Texas wearing a coonskin cap during the Davy Crockett mania spawned by the Disney series. I watched the mini-series and, several years later, saw some episodes of Daniel Boone, with Ed Ames playing his sidekick, Mingo. Flash forward to a Johnny Carson late night show, where Ed Ames, dressed as Mingo, demonstrates his prowess with the tomahawk. Showing Johnny the proper grip, he aimed at a full size male cutout several feet away on the stage. For those who never saw the clip, the axe cleaved the personal parts of the unfortunate dummy. The audience laughter which followed was the longest recorded in TV history to that time.

Years later, I found myself at a winery in the Santa Ynez Valley, north of Santa Barbara. There, I had a chance meeting with the owner, Fess Parker. He was a very astute businessman, with a degree from the University of Texas. No rube he, Fess owns hotels, ranch land and the winery, among other things. I marketed his brand for a couple of years afterward. He also likes to sing, by the way, which connects him in some minute way with this thread - should that matter.