Woke up in a
cold sweat the other night. In a dream, all my cowboy heroes had to
go bare-headed.
That's what would have happened if ol' John B. hadn't learned hat making from
his dad or founded the company now headquartered in St. Jo.
Remember George Houston, The Lone Rider? He wore the flat-brimmed
Plainsman style of Stetson favored by Wyatt Earp. George O'Brien,
Tom Mix, and Tim McCoy adopted the creased high crowned Montana Peak
worn by Buffalo Bill. Later in his career, Roy Rogers adopted The
Double Crease while Clayton Moore leaned toward The Good Guy.
The Carlsbad was the style worn by Dan Blocker in "Bonanza" and The
Gus was made famous by Robert Duvall in "Lonesome Dove."
Three time Oscar winner Walter Brennan was so proud of the old sweat stained
Texas hat he wore in "Red River," he insisted on wearing it in other
westerns and his television series "Guns of Will Sonnett."
John Wayne was equally proud of his old Cavalry hat, but loaned it
to Sammy Davis Jr. who all but destroyed it.
Keep that under your hat, will ya?
That hat was like a badge of honor
And he showed it off with pride
Mess with it and he put you on a horse
To see how fast you could ride
I saw it happen and it had me in pain
Watchin' that poor man that horse was carryin'
But the biggest mistake he made with this fella Wayne
Was daring to call him Marion.