Even after his death from cancer in 1999, David Ackles continues to influence contemporary singer/songwriters with his combination of dark and desolate lyrics, emotionally wrenching songs, and subtle, sonorous delivery. Singers like Elvis Costello have acknowledged a creative debt to him, and his albums, especially American Gothic, have become cult favorites.
Born on February 20, 1937, he was working in vaudeville by age four and in the mid-'40s played a character named %Tucky Worden in Columbia's #Rusty the Dog film series. His co-star was Dwayne Hickman, who would later go on to play %Dobie Gillis on television. He attended the University of Southern California and took a year to go to school in Edinburgh, where he studied literature. He eventually got a degree in film studies, though he was proficient in the theater, ballet, and choreography.
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