Walter Brennan

Three-time Oscar winner and country musician Walter Brennan was born in Swampscott, MA, on July 25, 1894. A veteran of the First World War, Brennan began acting professionally in 1929. He received his first Oscar for his supporting role in Howard Hawks' Come and Get It, and two more followed for 1938's Kentucky and 1940s The Westerner. By the time he took a popular role as Grampa Amos McCoy on the TV show The McCoys in the late '50s, he had over 100 film credits to his name. His recording career was at its most prolific during the early '60s. A duet with Billy Vaughn, "Dutchman's Gold," was his first chart hit. Three more -- "Old Rivers," "Houdini," and "Mama Sang Me a Song" -- registered two years later. He passed away in 1974, due to emphysema, on the 21st of September. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi