Pick Temple

As cowboy folksinger Pick Temple, Lafayette Parker Temple (c. 1911 - Dec. 21 1991) starred in The Pick Temple Giant Ranch television show from 1948 through 1961.

The Pick Temple Giant Ranch TV show

His children’s show featured his guitar playing and singing, puppet shows, cartoons, his pony Piccolo, and Lady, his faithful Collie canine companion. Viewers sent postcards to Pick, hoping he might pick them as “Lucky rangers” to appear as guests on his show, sitting in the studio’s hayloft. Pick's opening greeting, "Heidi, Pardner!" was a tip of the hat to the Heidi Bakery, which was the bakery affiliated with the grocery chain. Children wishing to participate in the various games had to wave their hands wildly and shout "Heidi, Please!". The show aired on WMAL-TV, seven days per week, in the Washington, D. C. area and was sponsored by a local grocery store chain, Giant Food of Landover, Maryland.


Appearance on The Rifleman

Temple also appeared on ABC-TV’s weekly Western series, The Rifleman, starring Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain. In the episode, “Honest Abe” (November 20, 1961), a friend of Lucas’ who resembled Abraham Lincoln stopped at a saloon in North Fork, New Mexico (the town closest to McCain’s ranch), for a drink of water. (Temple played a guitarist who sang "Blue-tailed Fly," also known as "Jimmy Cracked Corn," with the saloon’s patrons. The townspeople—except for Matt Yordy—play along with the Lincoln look-alike, who claims that he is the president. Yordy is looking for a fight, and Abe obliges him .

Pre-television career

Prior to his career in show business, Temple had been employed as an economic statistician in the Business Division of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Library of Congress music archives contributions

During the Great Depression, Temple rode the rails, listening to the melancholic folksongs of the day, some of which, in 1948, he recorded for the Library of Congress’ music archives .

Post-television career

After The Pick Temple Giant Ranch was cancelled, Temple returned to government service, working for the Office of Economic Opportunity’s Public Affairs Section and as an audio-visual expert, producing motivational films for Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA).

Temple died in 1991. His survivors include his son Park, his daughter Faye, and four grandchildren .

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References
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