About Chill Wills
Theodore Childress "Chill" Wills (July 18, 1902 – December 15, 1978) was an American actor and a singer in the Avalon Boys quartet. == Early life == Wills was born in Seagoville, Texas, on July 18, 1902. == Career == Wills was a performer from early childhood, forming and leading the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930s. He provided the deep voice for Stan Laurel's performance of "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" in Way Out West (1937), in which the Avalon Boys Quartet appeared. After appearing in a few Westerns, he disbanded the group in 1938, and struck out on a solo acting career. During the 1940s, Wills was a contract player for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, appearing in Westerns. He was also cast in a number of dramatic roles, including "the City of Chicago" as personified by a phantom police sergeant in the film noir City That Never Sleeps (1953), and Uncle Bawley in Giant (1956). For his role as Davy Crockett's companion Beekeeper in The Alamo (1960), Wills was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. However, his aggressive campaign for the award was considered tasteless by many, including the film's star/director/producer John Wayne, who publicly apologized for Wills. His publicity agent, Wojciechowicz "Bow Wow" Wojtkiewicz (former husband of gossip columnist Sheilah Graham), accepted blame for the ill-advised effort, claiming Wills knew nothing about it.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.