John King, a talented band singer and actor, embarked on a remarkable journey that spanned over four decades. Born Miller McLeod Everson on July 11, 1909, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Ernest and Ruth Brumfield Everson, he would later adopt the stage name John King.
After completing his education at the University of Cincinnati, King held a series of short-term jobs, including stoking at a grain elevator, selling furniture, lumberjacking, inspecting meat, and bookkeeping. However, it was his stint as an announcer at WCKY radio in nearby Covington, Kentucky, that marked the beginning of his broadcasting career.
Within a year, King was hosting a musical variety show and singing on WKRC in Cincinnati. He then joined Ben Bernie's band and traveled to Hollywood, where he made his film debut in Stolen Harmony (1935). King's stay in Hollywood led to small parts in pictures, often accompanied by singing appearances.
After landing a supporting role in a serial, King was signed by Universal Pictures for several roles and eventually secured the lead in the serial Ace Drummond (1936). He went on to appear in a variety of roles for Universal over the next four years.
In 1940, King signed with Monogram Pictures and landed one of the trio of leads in the Western series The Range Busters, playing the character Dusty. He continued to portray Dusty in 18 films, billing himself as John 'Dusty' King. Although he occasionally sang in the series, he never posed a significant threat to the leading singing cowboys of the era.
The Range Busters series concluded in 1943, and King retired from the screen three years later. He then opened a waffle restaurant in La Jolla, California, near San Diego, where he spent the remainder of his life. John King passed away in 1987 at the age of 78, more than 40 years after his last film.
