Three-time Oscar winner and country musician Walter Brennan was born in 1894, and died in 1974 of emphysema. While serving in World War I, his vocal cords were damaged by mustard gas causing him to age prematurely. That ailment helped him to land roles playing characters much older than his actual age. He most often was seen in offbeat rural parts, appearing as an eccentric old-timer or a grizzled prospector. As Grandpa Amos McCoy on the popular sitcom “The Real McCoys,” he delighted television audiences with his gol-darnin’, dagnabbed consarnin’ and meddlesome ways.
Here are the opening credits for “The Real McCoys“:
One day, somebody got the bright idea of cashing in on Brennan’s popularity as a character actor and making him a recording artist, even though he couldn’t sing a note. Instead, they had him “talk” the lyrics to the songs, while in character as Grandpa McCoy. A duet with Billy Vaughn, “Dutchman’s Gold,” was his first chart hit. “Old Rivers,” “Houdini,” and “Mama Sang Me a Song” also made the charts two years later. He also released a Christmas album, produced by Snuff Garrett, called “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas…Back Home,” which included the song “Henry Had A Merry Christmas.” The song is a tale about a child’s fear that his father was going to kill and eat his favorite pet.
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