I really miss Gunsmoke. It was like losing my whole family.
I joined Tommy Dorsey at the Paramount Theater in New York as a singer. I replaced Frank Sinatra.
The scenes in the show were filmed with a crew of really excellent stunt jumpers, but we had the feel of the parachutes, so we could be more realistic in the roles.
I'd stop in the middle of a gun fight and sing a song.
We did some jumping at the start of the show. We went out without telling anyone - and the studio liked to kill us. They were threatened with cancellation of their production insurance.
In this business you break a leg and 150 other people are out of work while production is shut down. It's not like you were an accountant and could still work with your leg in a cast.
I wouldn't care if they tattoo Festus all over. He's been good to me.
I'm really proud of Gunsmoke. We put on a good show every week - one that families could all watch together without offending anyone.
I've thought about doing other dramatic roles besides westerns, but I grew up in the West and I know the West.
