Ed Ames, Star of TV Series ‘Daniel Boone,’ Dies at 95

Ed Ames, the veteran singer and actor who played Mingo in the television series Daniel Boone, has died. He was 95.

According to Deadline, Ames passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 21. No cause of death was given.

Born on July 9, 1927, in Malden, Massachusetts, Ames began his career singing with his brothers in the Ames Brothers quartet, who had success throughout the 1950s with hit songs such as “Rag Mop,” “It Only Hurts For a Little While,” “You, You, You,” and “The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane.”

He would go on to record solo music in the 1960s after the quartet disbanded, having hits with tracks such as “My Cup Runneth Over,” “Time, Time,” “Try to Remember,” and “When the Snow Is on the Roses.”

It was in the 1960s when Ames started to pursue a career in acting, with his first starring role coming in an off-Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. He was later in the national touring company of Carnival.

Although born to Jewish parents from Ukraine, Ames was often cast as Native American characters due to his dark complexion. He played Chief Bromden in the Broadway production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and was cast as Cherokee tribesman Mingo on the NBC series Daniel Boone, starring Fess Parker.

His role of Mingo meant that he became skilled in throwing a tomahawk, which led to one of the most memorable moments of his career during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on April 27, 1965. While on the show, Carson asked Ames to demonstrate his skills by throwing a tomahawk at a target of a cowboy outlined on a wooden panel.

Ames’ throw landed directly in the groin of the cowboy, which saw the studio audience burst into sustained laughter. “Think I’m going into another business, John,” Ames said, to which Carson replied, “I didn’t even know you were Jewish!”

Without hesitation, Ames quipped back, “Welcome to Frontier Bris.”

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Ames also appeared in several other TV shows over the years, including The Rifleman, Murder She Wrote, McCloud, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, and Jake and the Fatman.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanne; two children, Ronald and Sonya; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and stepson Stephen Saviano. Another daughter, Marcella, predeceased him.