'Purple People Eater' Singer Sheb Wooley Dies

[TexasStooge]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - Sheb Wooley, whose novelty song "Purple People Eater" was a No. 1 hit in 1958, died on Tuesday after a five-year battle with leukemia, his family said on Wednesday. He was 82.

Wooley's widow, Linda Dotson, said he died at a hospital. He was well enough to attend the visitation for long-time friend Johnny Cash on Sunday but suffered a setback and could not attend Cash's funeral on Monday.

In addition to songwriting, Wooley appeared in the TV series "Rawhide" with Clint Eastwood from 1959 to 1967 and had parts in the feature films "High Noon" and "Hoosiers." In 1969 he became an original cast member of television's country variety show "Hee Haw," for which he wrote the theme song.

He was also a mentor to the late singer and songwriter Roger Miller who, like Wooley, was a native of Erick, Oklahoma.

His "Purple People Eater," based on a popular joke of the time, sold 3 million copies in just three weeks and topped the charts for six weeks. Under the pseudonym Ben Colder he developed a drunken comic alter-ego, recording parodies of other songs and scoring six country and five pop hits.

(Additional reporting by Mike Conlon in Chicago)

[JetMaxx]

Sheb Wooley's passing is a very sad loss for fans of country music and Hee Haw such as myself (Hee Haw was a Saturday evening tradition in my home when I was growing up). Sheb was a very talented gentleman....may he rest in peace.

Perry

[vbhoutex]

That is sad to hear. I loved "Purple people eater" I used to be able to sing the whole song. Not sure if I coud now.