Randy Boone

Clyde Randy Boone (January 17, 1942 – August 28, 2025) was an American actor and singer best known for his role in the series The Virginian as Randy Benton, a young ranch hand who played guitar and sang.

Randy Boone
Boone in 1967
Born	(1942-01-17)January 17, 1942 Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	August 28, 2025(2025-08-28) (aged 83)
Occupations	Actor singer
Years active	1962–1987
Spouse	Lana

Early life

Boone was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina on January 17, 1942.^[1] He enrolled at North Carolina State College as a mathematics major. He began performing as a folk singer at a bar and eventually dropped out of school to play guitar and sing. That decision led to 18 months of traveling around the United States, primarily by hitchhiking. He used his musical talents to barter, with his performances providing meals and sleeping quarters. He entered contests to win additional money.^[2]

Career

Boone and Michael Burns in "It's a Man's World"

Boone started his career in the 1962–1963 TV series It's a Man's World as Vern Hodges,^[3] a talented guitarist from Boone's native North Carolina.

After playing guitar and singing in The Virginian and starring as a country singer in the 1966 film Country Boy, he played Francis Wilde in the Western series Cimarron Strip along with Stuart Whitman.

Death

Boone died on August 28, 2025, at the age of 83.^[4]

Filmography (selection)

Film

• 1969: Backtrack!
• 1973: Terminal Island
• 1975: Dr. Minx
• 1987: The Wild Pair

Television

• 1962–1963: It's a Man's World
• 1963: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (Season 1, episode 28: "Last Seen Wearing Blue Jeans") as Pete Tanner
• 1963: Amazing Stories
• 1963 Wagon Train, (2 episodes) Noah Bancroft, David Garner
• 1963 The Twilight Zone (Season 5, episode 10: "The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms")
• 1964: The Fugitive
• 1964–1966: The Virginian
• 1966 Combat!
• 1966: Bonanza (Season 8, episode 10: "Ballad of the Ponderosa")
• 1967–1968: Cimarron Strip
• 1973: Emergency!
• 1974: Kolchak: The Night Stalker
• 1975: Kung Fu
• 1975: Gunsmoke
• 1985: Highway to Heaven