Howard Keel

Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919 – November 7, 2004),[1] known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer, known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice.[2] He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the CBS television series Dallas from 1981 to 1991.

Keel was born in Gillespie, Illinois, United States,[2] [1]to Navyman-turned-coalminer Homer Keel (1885⁠–⁠1930), and his wife, Grace Margaret (née Osterkamp (1887⁠–⁠1971). Keel was the younger of the couple’s children, after elder son Frederick William Keel (1913–⁠1982). The family was so poor that a teacher would often provide Keel with his lunch.

After his father’s death in 1930, Keel and his mother moved to California, where he graduated from Fallbrook High School at age 17. He worked various odd jobs until settling at Douglas Aircraft Company as a traveling representative.

It was erroneously stated that Keel’s birth name was Harold Leek by the MGM publicity department in the 1950s.[3