Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940 – May 9, 2017) was an American singer and actor[2] who made numerous film and television appearances, notably starring in the 1969–1970 series Then Came Bronson. He was widely known for his work in his later years with filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Kevin Smith.
Parks was the star of the series Then Came Bronson from 1969 to 1970, in which he rode an iconic red Harley-Davidson Sportster, as he drifted from town to town.[6][7] He sang "Wayfarin’ Stranger", a duet with pilot episode co-star Bonnie Bedelia, and later the theme song for the show, "Long Lonesome Highway",[8] which became a No. 20 Billboard Hot 100 and No. 41 Hot Country Songs hit.[9] "Long Lonesome Highway" also peaked at number 84 in Australia.[10]
Parks recorded five albums under MGM Records (the label of the studio which produced the series) that charted including Closing The Gap (1969), Long Lonesome Highway (1970), and Blue.[8]
After disputes with the producers of Bronson, Parks said he was informally blacklisted in Hollywood.[11] Parks admitted he could be "difficult on the set" and also said he objected to producers wanting to make the series more violent. After the cancellation of Bronson, Parks didn't work in a major Hollywood production for several years, but he had regular small roles in independent or Canadian features throughout the 1970s, such as Between Friends (1973), although director Donald Shebib had trouble dealing with Parks, describing him as a "terrific actor in a lot of ways, but weird". Later in the same interview, Shebib accuses Parks of having been openly and aggressively anti-semitic. [12]
Smith later announced on his podcast that Parks had recorded an album during Red State's production, after Smith and producer Jon Gordon noticed his singing talent during filming. The album, titled The Red State Sessions, was released on August 15, 2011, as a download from the film's website.
Personal life
Parks was born in Corona, California to Harry Arthur Parks and Beatrice Adora Dunwoody.[16][17] He drifted from job to job during his teenage years, including picking fruit, digging ditches, driving trucks, and fighting forest fires.[16]
Parks married five times. His first marriage in 1956 at age 16 to Louise Johnson lasted until 1958 and produced a daughter.[18][19] His second marriage in 1964 to actress Jan Moriarty lasted only a few months, ending with her apparent suicide from an overdose.[20] His third marriage in 1968 to Carolyn Kay Carson produced a son, James.[19] His fourth marriage to Alston Fenci, whom he married in 1987, ended in divorce in 1996.[13] In 1997, he married Oriana. The union lasted until his death.[18]
Death and reaction
Parks died on May 9, 2017, in his Los Angeles home at the age of 77 from undisclosed causes.[21] He requested a full body burial at sea, which his wife attended alone following a public funeral held at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
Upon hearing the news, director Kevin Smith posted on his Instagram account "Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I've ever known. I wrote both Red State and Tusk for Parks, I loved his acting so much." He also included, "He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set."[22][23] In a Twitter post, director Robert Rodriguez referred to Michael Parks as "a true legend".[24]