Shelby F. "Sheb" Wooley (April 10, 1921 – September 16, 2003) was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty song "The Purple People Eater". He played Ben Miller, brother of Frank Miller in the film High Noon, played Travis Cobb in The Outlaw Josey Wales, and also had a co-starring role as scout Pete Nolan in the television program Rawhide.
Ora E. Wooley, William C. Wooley, Ora E. Wooley, William C. Wooley
Nominations
Academy of Country Music Award for Country Comedy Act, Academy of Country Music Award for Country Comedy Act
Movies
High Noon, Hoosiers, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Silverado, Man Without a Star, Rio Bravo, Giant, Ride a Violent Mile, Rocky Mountain, The Boy from Oklahoma, Trooper Hook, Sky Full of Moon, Hellgate, The War Wagon, Johnny Guitar, Distant Drums, Uphill All the Way, Cattle Town, The Black Whip, The Oklaho...
TV Shows
Rawhide, Rawhide
Star Sign
Aries
#
Quote
1
[on how he got the idea for his "Purple People Eater" hit song] The Space Age was upon us. Everyone was thinking about rockets and wondering if maybe we would find people up there. A songwriter friend of mine told me his son had come home from school with a joke about a people eater from space. I wrote the song in a matter of minutes--just dashed it off as a sort of afterthought.
2
I came out to Hollywood to become a singing cowboy but when I got here in 1950 they didn't want any singing cowboys, even if you had your own guitar. So I got into the other end of the cowboy business and played mostly heavies in my film career.
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Fact
1
In 1969 Wooley was one of the original members of the cast of Hee Haw (1969), the-long running country slapstick series. He also wrote the familiar theme song. He left the show after only filming 13 episodes due to other professional demands. He returned from time to time as a guest.
2
He got the idea for his hit song, Purple People Eater, when a friend of his mentioned that his young son came home from elementary school with a joke he had heard: "What has one eye, one horn, flies and eats people?" "A one-eyed, one-horned flying people eater!".
3
It is believed that he may be the person who recorded the famous Wilhelm Scream for the movie Distant Drums (1951). He was one of the few actors assembled for the recording of additional vocal elements for the film. It is very likely he was asked on the spot to perform other things for the film, including the screams for a "man getting bit by an alligator" (as the Wilhelm Scream takes were slated).
The running lyric to Sheb's huge novelty song hit went like this: "It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater." It spent six weeks at No. 1 and sold 3 million copies in 1958. Other silly songs included "Talk Back Blubbering Lips," "Sunday Morning Fallin' Down," "Harper Valley PTA (Later That Same Day)," "The Happiest Squirrel in the Whole U.S.A." and "Fifteen Beers Ago." He also recorded the parody "Don't Go Near the Eskimos," based on Rex Allen's 1962 hit "Don't Go Near the Indians.".
6
Formed his own radio band, The Plainview Melody Boys, at the age 15.
7
Awarded Comedian of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1968.
8
His wife Linda was also his manager.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Collection
1991
Video
Murder, She Wrote
1990
TV Series
Billy Ray Parker
Purple People Eater
1988
Harvey Skitters
Hoosiers
1986
Cletus
Uphill All the Way
1986
Anson Sudro
Silverado
1985
Cavalry Sergeant
The Dollmaker
1984
TV Movie
Mr. Kendrick
The Outlaw Josey Wales
1976
Travis Cobb
The Young Rebels
1970
TV Series
Mod Squad
1969
TV Series
Wild Bill Hannachek
The War Wagon
1967
Snyder
Country Boy
1966
Sheb Wooley
Rawhide
1959-1965
TV Series
Pete Nolan
Death Valley Days
1965
TV Series
Jeb Slade / Fred Nelson
Rio Bravo
1959
Cowboy (scenes deleted)
Terror in a Texas Town
1958
Baxter (uncredited)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1956-1957
TV Series
Rex Jones / Luke McGuire
Ride a Violent Mile
1957
Jonathan Long
Tales of Wells Fargo
1957
TV Series
Lenny
Maverick
1957
TV Series
Sheriff
Sugarfoot
1957
TV Series
Pete Martin
Trooper Hook
1957
Cooter Brown
Playhouse 90
1957
TV Series
The Oklahoman
1957
Cowboy / Henchman (uncredited)
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
1954-1957
TV Series
Gang Member / Monte / Morgan / ...
The Ford Television Theatre
1957
TV Series
Tag Bailey
Cheyenne
1957
TV Series
Chev Jones
The Black Whip
1956
Bill Lassater
Zane Grey Theater
1956
TV Series
Brock
Giant
1956
Gabe Target
My Friend Flicka
1956
TV Series
Harry Runyon
Cavalry Patrol
1956
TV Movie
Lank Clee
Trial
1955
Butteridge (uncredited)
The Second Greatest Sex
1955
Silas - Jones City Leader
The Lone Ranger
1953-1955
TV Series
Tex / Hatton / Don Wyman / ...
Man Without a Star
1955
Latigo
The Adventures of Kit Carson
1953-1955
TV Series
Johnny / Walt Denton / Rand 'Doc' Hale / ...
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
1954
Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Johnny Guitar
1954
Posseman (uncredited)
Rocky Jones, Space Ranger
1954
TV Series
Lawson
Arrow in the Dust
1954
Trooper (uncredited)
Stories of the Century
1954
TV Series
Jim Younger
Rose Marie
1954
Corporal (uncredited)
The Boy from Oklahoma
1954
Pete Martin
Texas Bad Man
1953
Mack
The Range Rider
1953
TV Series
Saber Jack Tyrell / Baxter Vale / Ed Harrison
Sky Full of Moon
1952
Balladeer (voice)
The Cisco Kid
1952
TV Series
Bill Bronson / Roy Stokes
Toughest Man in Arizona
1952
Army Officer (uncredited)
The Lusty Men
1952
Gambler with Buster (uncredited)
Cattle Town
1952
Miller
Hellgate
1952
Neill Price
High Noon
1952
Ben Miller
Fireside Theatre
1951-1952
TV Series
Bugles in the Afternoon
1952
Gen. George Armstrong Custer (uncredited)
Distant Drums
1951
Pvt. Jessup (uncredited)
Fort Worth
1951
Outrider (uncredited)
Little Big Horn
1951
Quince
Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison
1951
Chick Fullis (uncredited)
Apache Drums
1951
Townsman (uncredited)
Rocky Mountain
1950
Kay Rawlins
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
2015
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The German Doctor
2013
writer: "Purple People Eater" " - uncredited
One Hit Wonderland
TV Series documentary performer - 1 episode, 2012 writer - 1 episode, 2012
Monsters vs. Aliens
2009
performer: "Purple People Eater" / writer: "Purple People Eater"
Fetching Cody
2005
performer: "Listening For Your Footsteps" / writer: "Listening For Your Footsteps"
Contact
1997
writer: "Purple People Eater"
Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Collection
1991
Video performer: "Purple People Eater" / writer: "Purple People Eater" - as Wooley
Kidsongs: Very Silly Songs
1991
Video short writer: "The Purple People Eater"
Parents
1989
performer: "Purple People Eater" / writer: "Purple People Eater"
Purple People Eater
1988
performer: "The Purple People Eater" / writer: "The Purple People Eater"
Aloha Summer
1988
performer: "Purple People Eater" / writer: "Purple People Eater"
DTV: Pop & Rock
1984
Video performer: "The Purple People Eater" / writer: "The Purple People Eater"
The Outlaw Josey Wales
1976
performer: "Rose of Alabamy Reprise", "Cripple Creek", "The Irish Washerwoman" - uncredited
Wild Rovers
1971
performer: "Wild Rover"
The Split
1968
lyrics: "A Good Woman's Love" / music: "A Good Woman's Love" / performer: "A Good Woman's Love"
Country Boy
1966
performer: "Draggin' the River' / writer: "Draggin' the River'
Hootenanny Hoot
1963
performer: "Hootenanny Hoot", "Building a Railroad" / writer: "Hootenanny Hoot"