About this Artist

Actor FESS PARKER has been called by some an American icon.

His portrayal of frontiersmen Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone impacted millions of young viewers in the late 1950s and '60s.

Originally from Texas, Parker enrolled at the University of Texas where he graduated in 1950 with a degree in history. After moving to California, he completed his master's degree in drama at the University of Southern California. Parker began acting professionally in 1951 as a stage performer in the national company of Mister Roberts. In 1954, Walt Disney signed Parker to play the title role in Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.

In 1964 Parker began filming his network television series, Daniel Boone. During six years on one of the highest rated shows of its time, Parker not only starred in the series but co-produced it and directed five of its most popular episodes. Parker continued to star in numerous box office hits for Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Studios, while laying the foundation for his second career as a real estate developer. Parker built his first resort hotel in Santa Barbara in 1986, Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort, set on 23.5 oceanfront acres.

In 1987, Parker purchased a 714-acre ranch 35 miles north of Santa Barbara, in the Santa Ynez Valley, where he promptly set about planning and establishing Fess Parker's Winery & Vineyard. His son, Eli (Fess III), is President and Director of Winemaking & Vineyard Operations. His daughter, Ashley, is Vice President of Marketing & Sales. Together, as a family, the Parkers have received numerous awards for producing some of the region's finest wines.