James Best

James Best was an American television, film, character, voice and stage actor, writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He appeared as a guest on various country music shows and a few talk shows.

James Best was born as Jewel Jules Franklin Guy on July 26, 1926, in Powderly, Kentucky, to Lark and Lena Guy. His mother was the sister of Ike Everly, the father of the pop duo The Everly Brothers. After his mother died of tuberculosis in 1929, then threeyearold James was sent to live in an orphanage. He was later adopted by Armen Best and his wife Essa and went to live with them in Corydon, Indiana. He served honorably in the United States Army in World War II, training in 1944 in Biloxi, Mississippi as a gunner on a B17 bomber, but by the time he finished training the war was almost at an end and he joined the Military Police. As an MP, Best played a role in bringing stability to wartorn Germany immediately after their surrender. While stationed in Germany, Best transferred out of the MP and joined a special services unit of actors for the US Army that travelled around Europe performing plays for the troops. This was the true beginning of his acting career.

Source: Wikipedia