- Billy Pearson
Billy Pearson (
1920 -November 28 2002 ) was an American horse-racing jockey, a quiz-show winner and an art-dealer.A successful jockey throughout the 40's and 50's credited with over 800 victories, Pearson developed his interest in art after a serious riding accident, and went on to win over $170,000 on the television quiz shows "
The $64,000 Question " and "The $64,000 Challenge" in 1956-57."The $64,000 Question" had a series of contestants with what were considered to be unusual interests and a jockey who was also an art expert was of great public interest. He acquired celebrity status as a result.
He later appeared in an episode of "Perry Mason" called "The Case of the Jilted Jockey", and had several small film parts in the next 20 years. In 1958, he was cast as private eye Donald Lam in a pilot episode of "Cool and Lam", based on the books by
Erle Stanley Gardner writing as A. A. Fair, but the pilot remains the only episode in existence.He assembled an extensive art collection and in later life became a dealer in pre-Columbian art.
Writer
Sam Shepard dedicated his play, "Fool for Love" to Billy Pearson. Pearson was married six times.See also
*
List of horse accidents External links
* [http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c901_e047.htm The Case of the Jilted jockey]
References
*Pearson, Billy and Stephen Longstreet (2003). "NEVER LOOK BACK, The Autobiography of a Jockey", Simon and Schuster.
*cite book | first=David | last=Schorsch | year=1994 | title=The Billy Pearson Collection of American Folk Art
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