Faron Young was one of the most popular honky-tonk country singers during the 1950s and his career lasted well into the 1980s. His colorful personality endeared him to everyone he met, and even his wild and sometimes crude habits didn't stop people from loving him.
He was born February 25, 1932, to Harlan and Doris Young, in Shreveport, LA, and he grew up working on a dairy farm. Faron's father mistreated and neglected him, inflicting invisible scars that Faron would carry his entire life.
Just a little over a month before his 20th birthday, Faron signed a recording contract with Capitol Records, and his first Capitol record was released in April of 1952.
A contest was held for fans to chose a nickname for Faron, as many country music singers during that time got special titles. The winning name was "The Young Sheriff," which later changed to "The Singing Sheriff." Even friends and family called him "Sheriff."
Faron starred in three western movies: Hidden Guns (1956), Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1956), and Raiders of Old California (1957). He learned to do tricks with guns and would often include spinning his six-shooters in his personal appearances. After developing hepatitis while filming Hidden Guns in Mexico, Faron nearly died and took several months of rest to recover, but then started touring again.
The second film he appeared in starred Bruce Bennett as the title character, and Lon Chaney Jr.—Faron, with a blonde wig (why they decided to do that, we'll never know!), played the boy courting Boone's daughter. And for his last western, Raiders of Old California, Faron gets the main hero role, although the bad guys get plenty of screen time, too.
Some of his best-known songs are "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young," "Hello Walls," "Wine Me Up," and "Four in the Morning."
He recorded an entire album of Western songs in 1963, featuring "Rawhide," "High Noon," "Ballad of Paladin," "Streets of Laredo," "The Yellow Bandanna," "Don't Take Your Guns to Town," "Bonanza," "A Dead Man Ago," "Johnny Yuma," "The Lillies Grown High," "Reverend Mr. Black," and "New Mexico."
Faron Young died on December 10, 1996, at the age of 64.