Sheb Wooley
Biography
Sheb Wooley was an American actor and country musician from Erick, Oklahoma. After starting his recording career in 1945, he gained wide notice with the 1958 novelty hit The Purple People Eater and later scored a country number one with That's My Pa. Under the name Ben Colder he released parodies such as Don't Go Near the Eskimos. In Westerns he played Ben Miller in High Noon (1952), Baxter in Terror in a Texas Town (1958), and Travis Cobb in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976); he also appeared in Silverado (1985) and Hoosiers (1986). His television break came as drover Pete Nolan on Rawhide (1959 to 1965), where he wrote and directed some episodes. Wooley wrote the Hee Haw theme and became a regular on that series. He won the Country Music Association's Comedian of the Year award in 1968 and two Golden Boot Awards.
82years old at death
- Born Erick
- Died Nashville
- Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
- Also credited as Ben Colder and Shelby Fredrick Wooley
Movie Career
- Films
- 12
- Career span
- 55 years1951 to 2006
First and latest
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Big break
Wooley landed his professional big break by being cast as Pete Nolan, a drover, on Rawhide, which ran from 1959 to 1965. He also wrote and directed some episodes of the show.
A role that slipped away
Wooley planned to record "Don't Go Near the Indians", but an acting job held him up. Rex Allen recorded it before him and had a hit, so Wooley did a sequel, "Don't Go Near the Eskimos".
First role
Wooley was 15 when he started a group named the Plainview Melody Boys, and the band played on radio from time to time at KASA in Elk City, Oklahoma.
Big break
Wooley became considerably famous in 1958 thanks to his rock-and-roll comedy single "The Purple People Eater". The hit used tape manipulation, which drew inspiration from the David Seville single "Witch Doctor".
About the name
Wooley created the comic persona Ben Colder for the sequel song "Don't Go Near the Eskimos". The name stuck, and he released further parodies under it, including "Shaky Breaky Car".
Sheb Wooley movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Seven actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
John Wayne's page
Kirk Douglas's page
Gary Cooper's page
Royal Dano's page
Malcolm Atterbury's page
George Bell2 films together, 1952 to 1959
Also two films together1 more actor
- Robert SwanHoosiers (1986) and The Dollmaker (1984)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.