Shug Fisher was a versatile and talented entertainer who had a long and successful career in the film and television industry. He was best known for his roles in many Western films, often as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers, a legendary vocal group that performed with Roy Rogers. He also appeared in popular TV shows such as Gunsmoke and The Beverly Hillbillies, where he showcased his comedic skills and his trademark stutter. But how did this beloved Western star die? What was the cause of his death? Here is what we know.
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Early Life and Career
Shug Fisher was born George Clinton Fisher Jr. on September 26, 1907, in Tabler, Oklahoma, to a Scots-Irish father and a Choctaw mother. He got the nickname “Shug” (short for sugar) from his mother, who thought he was a sweet baby. He grew up in a farming family and learned to play the mandolin, the fiddle, and the guitar at a young age. He also developed a passion for entertainment and comedy after watching a traveling medicine show in 1924.
In 1925, he moved to California with his father and a friend, where he worked as a fruit-picker and an oil field worker. He also continued to perform as a musician at social events and square dances. In 1927, he made his first radio appearance on The Fresno Bee’s station, KMJ, but he was not paid for it. He later said, “publicity was fine, but you can’t eat it…My motto was, pay me something, or I don’t play.”
In 1931, he joined the Hollywood Hillbillies, a country band based in Los Angeles, where he played the bass fiddle and claimed to be one of the first to do so in a country band. He also started to use his comic abilities and his ability to stutter at will. In 1933, he left the group and joined the Beverly Hill Billies, another country band that had moved to San Francisco. He also performed with Stuart Hamblen’s Lucky Stars and partnered with Pat Brady, another singer and comedian.
Joining the Sons of the Pioneers and Working with Roy Rogers
In 1943, Shug Fisher joined the Sons of the Pioneers, a famous Western vocal group that was founded by Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer in 1933. He replaced Hugh Farr as the bass player and comedian and appeared on their Lucky U Ranch radio program. He also wrote some songs for the group, such as “Out on the Open Range” and “Ridin’ Down to Santa Fe”, which were later recorded by Merle Travis and other stars.
Shug Fisher also appeared in many Western films with the Sons of the Pioneers, often as a sidekick or a comic relief. He worked with Roy Rogers, the “King of the Cowboys”, in serials and B movies such as The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944), Don’t Fence Me In (1945), My Pal Trigger (1946), and Under California Stars (1948). He also appeared with other Western stars such as Gene Autry, Rex Allen, and Eddie Dean.
Shug Fisher left the Sons of the Pioneers in 1952 and worked with Ken Curtis, another former member of the group and a future star of Gunsmoke, in movies and TV shows. He also performed with Red Foley on his Ozark Jubilee TV show for two years. He rejoined the Sons of the Pioneers in 1955 and stayed with them until 1959.
TV Roles and Disney Films
Shug Fisher had a prolific TV career, appearing in many shows as a guest star or a recurring character. He was most frequently seen on Gunsmoke, the longest-running Western series in TV history, where he played various roles such as Shorty, Festus’ uncle, and a saloon patron. He also had a regular role on Ripcord, an adventure series starring Ken Curtis and Larry Pennell, where he played Pappy, the owner of a skydiving company.
Shug Fisher also had a memorable role on The Beverly Hillbillies, one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1960s, where he played Shorty Kellums, a friend and suitor of Granny. He appeared in 17 episodes of the show between 1963 and 1970 and was known for his hilarious interactions with the Clampett family.
Shug Fisher also worked with Walt Disney in several films and TV episodes, such as The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), Westward Ho, the Wagons! (1956), The Light in the Forest (1958), The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968), and The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975). He also voiced Uncle Pecos, a guitar-playing mouse, in the Tom and Jerry cartoon Pecos Pest (1955).
Final Years and Death
Shug Fisher spent his final years living in Studio City, California. He continued to work in the film and TV industry until 1981, when he appeared in his last movie, Soggy Bottom, U.S.A., a comedy starring Ben Johnson and Don Johnson. He also made his last TV appearance in 1981, on an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard.
Shug Fisher died on March 16, 1984, at the age of 76, after a lingering illness, with his old friend Ken Curtis by his side. He passed away in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, and was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills. He was survived by his wife, Peggy Summers, whom he married in 1935, and his son, George Clinton Fisher III.
Shug Fisher was a beloved Western star who left a lasting legacy in the film and TV industry. He was a versatile and talented entertainer who could sing, play, write, act, and make people laugh. He was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers, a legendary vocal group that was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their contributions to the music industry. He was also a friend and colleague of many Western icons, such as Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Ken Curtis. He will always be remembered for his roles in many Western films and TV shows, such as Gunsmoke and The Beverly Hillbillies, where he charmed audiences with his comic facial expressions and his trademark stutter. He was a true pioneer of the Western genre and a genuine sugar of a man.
