American character actor in many Westerns, Sheb Wooley was also a figure in country-western music. Born and raised in Oklahoma, he spent his youth as a cowhand. His musical ability led to radio and subsequently film work. He played minor supporting roles for a dozen years starting in 1950, including one of the Frank Miller gang in High Noon (1952). In 1958 he had a giant hit record with his own song "The Purple People Eater" (years later there was a movie made based on the song, Purple People Eater (1988)) and he followed it with a string of similar humorous country ditties, often recorded under the name Ben Colder. For a number of years he had a regular role as scout Pete Nolan on the hit TV series Rawhide (1959). He worked infrequently as an actor after that, concentrating on the music business.

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John Wayne, Bruce Cabot, Don Collier, and Sheb Wooley in The War Wagon (1967)

Bruce Dern, Don Collier, Chuck Roberson, and Sheb Wooley in The War Wagon (1967)

Frank Wilcox and Sheb Wooley in Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (1953)

Rock Hudson, Monte Hale, Charles Watts, and Sheb Wooley in Giant (1956)

Matt Clark, Royal Dano, Joyce Jameson, and Sheb Wooley in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Clint Eastwood, Frankie Laine, and Sheb Wooley in Rawhide (1959)

Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, and Sheb Wooley in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

"The Outlaw Josey Wales" Sondra Locke, Clint Eastwood, and extras 1976 Warner Bros.

James Dean and Rock Hudson in "Giant." 1955 Warner / MPTV

Kevin Costner, Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, and Scott Glenn in Silverado (1985)

Gary Cooper, Lloyd Bridges, Lee Van Cleef, Katy Jurado, Ian MacDonald, Robert J. Wilke, and Sheb Wooley in High Noon (1952)

James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson in Giant (1956)

Sheb Wooley

Sheb Wooley

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