Lorne Greene

Playing the part of charismatic Ben Cartwright, the firm-but-fair boss of the Ponderosa Ranch in the hugely successful TV series Bonanza provided Canadian-born actor Lorne Greene the perfect vehicle from which to launch a parallel career as a country singer. At the height of the television programme's popularity a deal with RCA Victor saw Greene record five albums for the label between 1963 and 1966. In 1964 the single Ringo, taken from the album Welcome To The Ponderosa was a narrative to music with a voiceover by Greene relating the tale of a wounded outlaw gunslinger nursed back to life by Greene's character. In the song the narrator, himself no stranger to the art of gun play, is part of a posse and subsequently meets up with his former patient provoking a showdown with predictable results. Suffice to say the benefits of the previously administered medical attention proved to be short-lived. The song was the surprise hit of 1964, trailblazing it's way to number one in the Billboard Charts. More chart success followed with The Man in 1965 and Waco in 1966 after which Greene retired from his musical career whilst continuing his on screen role as Ben Cartwright until the show was terminated in 1973 and Greene finally hung up his Stetson. Greene passed away in 1987 after complications from pneumonia.

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