Many here will remember the actor, whose career went from 60's TV (Then Came Bronson) to 90's TV & movies (Twin Peaks, Kill Bill, etc.). A few may remember that he was also a recording artist, recording several country-rockish albums at the time of Then Came Bronson, including a top 20 hit of the TV show's theme song Long Lonesome Highway. I'm a huge fan of Then Came Bronson and the albums. Pity that very little of his recorded output is available on CD. I have a best-of CD that appeared on Canetoad Records out of Australia; it looks official, but may be a gray-area release and sounds like a no-noised vinyl transfer. Also sad that the TV series never saw a DVD or even VHS release, though there is a DVD of the pilot, which wasn't near as good as the series itself.

RIP.

Loved Michael Parks. The TV series "Then Came Bronson" was one of my favorite especially since I was really into motorcycles at the time. Rest in peace as you ride into the sunset.


Parks in Then Came Bronson (1969)

Parks was the star of the series Then Came Bronson from 1969 to 1970. He sang the theme song for the show, "Long Lonesome Highway", which became a #20 Billboard Hot 100 and #41 Hot Country Songs hit. Albums he recorded under MGM Records (the label of the studio which produced the series) include Closing The Gap (1969), Long Lonesome Highway (1970), and Blue.

Also the movie Bus Riley's Back in Town he made with Ann-Margret. We need this on Blu-ray.


Bruce Springsteen's video for "I'm on Fire" contains a homage to Bus Riley's Back in Town, with a young woman shown dropping off car keys to a young man working under a vehicle.

Rick A.

Saw the news in a Kevin Smith post. Smith was a huge fan of Parks, and wrote the parts in Tusk and Red State for him. Parks was great in Red State

For Top 40 collectors, "Long Lonesome Highway" isn't easy to track down on CD. Puzzling omission on Rhino's Have a Nice Day series.

Parks was great in dual roles in the Kill Bill movies. He's also the best thing about Kevin Smith's dreadful Tusk from a couple years ago.

R.I.P., Michael.

He was good. Thanks for your work.

Two roles in Kill Bill I and II, two movies I really enjoyed.

I had the Long Lonesome Highway 45 when it came out originally[though I was only 3 at the time.......even then I was into music.... strange but true ].

No surprise, I loved when my Mom played her old 78's while ironing and stuff. I know I was less than 5 years old.

Rick A.