Pernell Roberts 81, Bonanza's Adam Cartwright Dies. From Westerns to Singer

Pernell Roberts is probably best known for his role as Adam Cartwright on the TV series Bonanza. Adam Cartwright was depicted as the educated and not so cowboy Cartwright. Pernell Roberts was a little like Adam off camera. For instance, he hated calling Ben Cartwright (Loren Green) "Pa". Roberts kept insisting, to no avail, that Adam would call Ben Cartwright "father". Pernell lost that battle. Even when he left Bonanza, they left the audience thinking that Adam Cartwright went to Europe to study.

Pernell Roberts was 81 and the last of the Bonanza Cartwright family to pass away. He was suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Pernell Roberts had a variety of jobs while studying acting and singing. Roberts was a butcher, forest ranger and tomb-stone maker in his early years. Pernell Roberts first real acting job was the in the film Desire under the Elms. He played Adam Cartwright on Bonanza from 1959 - 1966. The horse he rode was named Beauty and every episode it looked like Beauty had a mind of its own. He kept the same horse for all of his Bonanza shows. While Little Joe, Michael Landon, actually had 2 paint horses and Hoss, Dan Blocker had 3 for their stay at Bonanza. Adam Cartwright was always clad in black and he wore a toupee. His character was always well spoken.

When he left Bonanza, Pernell Roberts left his toupee behind and went back to the stage. Even though he vowed he would never go back to TV, a spin off of MASH called "Trapper John M.D" was his next stop. Roberts played a surgeon and the series ran from 1979 - 1986. In 1991 you could see Pernell Roberts hosting FBI: The Untold Stories.

Pernell Roberts had a booming and lovely voice. Bonanza episodes were sprinkled with Adam Cartwright playing the guitar and singing. He even recorded Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies, which was a folk music album. The albumn has been released on RCA Victor. The album is available on compact disc only in the 4 CD boxed set of Bonanza.

Pernell was married 4 times. He had 1 child, a son named Johnathan Christopher Roberts by his first wife, Vera Mowry. Christopher died at age 38 in a motorcycle accident.

Pernell Roberts has passed away, but he will always be remembered. The ever handsome Adam Cartwright is as close as the TV Land channel.

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