Sammy Jackson

Sammy Jackson (August 18, 1937 – April 26, 1995) was an American actor and country music disc jockey born in Henderson, North Carolina. He pursued a career in acting and relocated to California, where he initially worked as a shipping clerk before signing with Warner Brothers. His first film appearance came in No Time for Sergeants, in which he delivered a single line without receiving a screen credit.

Jackson built an early television presence through several Warner Brothers productions. He appeared in the syndicated Civil War drama Gray Ghost and had a role in the series 77 Sunset Strip, starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. He also appeared in the western series Maverick opposite Jack Kelly, playing Private Heaven in the episode "Trooper Maverick." When Warner Brothers announced plans for a 1964 ABC sitcom adaptation of No Time for Sergeants, Jackson wrote directly to studio head Jack L. Warner, citing that Maverick episode as evidence of his suitability for the lead role. He was called in to test ten days later and won the part over several competing actors, including Will Hutchins, a Warner Brothers contract player known for Sugarfoot who had also appeared in the original No Time for Sergeants film. The series was produced by George Burns's production company and aired in the United Kingdom on ITV from 1965 to 1969.

His feature film work during the 1960s included None but the Brave, directed by Frank Sinatra, in which Jackson played a Marine who trades cigarettes with a Japanese soldier in exchange for fish. He appeared in The Night of the Grizzly and starred in an unsold 1966 television pilot in the title role of Li'l Abner. In 1967 he appeared alongside Groucho Marx in the pilot Rhubarb. Both The Night of the Grizzly and Rhubarb shared Howard W. Koch as a producer. Additional film credits from this period include The Fastest Guitar Alive in 1967. Jackson also appeared on Broadway in 1968 in Come Blow Your Horn.

As opportunities for rural character roles declined, Jackson transitioned into radio work in 1968 while continuing to act in films and television. His screen credits from subsequent years include The Boatniks and Norwood, both in 1970, The Million Dollar Duck in 1971, and a guest appearance on Adam 12 in 1973. In 1979 he appeared in the twelfth episode of the first season of The Dukes of Hazzard, playing a casino tough. Television writer Larry Brody recalled meeting Jackson and developing a television pilot for him during this period. Jackson also recorded country and rockabilly singles between 1959 and 1965, releasing several 45 RPM records. His radio career continued through the 1980s, during which he worked at a Las Vegas station, played country music on KLAC in Los Angeles, and in 1983 presented pop standards on KMPC, also in Los Angeles. In 1992 he appeared in the pilot film Casino, and his final screen credit was Another Stakeout in 1993, in which he played a character named Gaetano. Jackson died of heart failure on April 26, 1995, at the age of 57.