Powderly Native James Best — TV’s Roscoe P. Coltrane — Passes Away
He was born Jewel Franklin Guy on July 26, 1926, but became James Best or "Jimmie" Best after being adopted at the age of 3--after the death of his mother--by Armen and Essa Best. They asked him what we wanted to be called and he said "Jimmie."
Well, late Monday night, James Best--best-known for his iconic role as Roscoe P. Coltrane on the hit 70s and 80s series The Dukes of Hazzard--passed away after complications from pneumonia.
All through high school I didn't know a guy my age who couldn't do a Roscoe P. Coltrane impersonation. You know, that trademark sound he made? I can't really spell it, so I'll show you:
In the following interview clip, Best describes how he landed his most famous role:
But, long before The Dukes of Hazzard, Best had a HUGE career on television and in the movies. You can check out his enormous list of credits here.
Why, just Sunday night, I saw him in this really cool Twilight Zone episode called "The Grave":
And no Andy Griffith Show fan could forget his appearances on that classic comedy:
James Best was 88 years old.