On Tuesday 7 April 2020, Gene Watson’s Fan Site remembers James Drury (Wednesday 18 April 1934 – Monday 6 April 2020), who was best known for his role on on the Western television series, ‘The Virginian’, and has died at the age of 85.
James Drury‘s passing was announced on his Facebook page by his assistant, Karen Lindsey.
The post started by saying, ‘The Cowboy took his last ride. It is with immense sadness that I let you all know that James Drury, our beloved Virginian, and dear friend, passed away this morning of natural causes, Monday, April 6, 2020’
On Thursday 28 June 2018, James Drury graciously contributed a quote about Gene Watson; the acquisition of this quote would not have been possible without the kind assistance of Karen Lindsey, Assistant to James Drury.
On ‘The Virginian’, James Drury, whose grandfather was from Roscommon in the Republic of Ireland, played the mysterious, laconic and nameless foreman of the Shiloh Ranch near the town of Medicine Bow in Wyoming.
‘The Virginian’ was hugely popular in the Republic of Ireland when it was screened on RTÉ television in the 1960s, and went on to enjoy almost daily repeats when it became a staple of TG4’s daytime schedule in the 1990s.
In August 2008, James Drury visited his grandfather’s farm in Roscommon and he expressed his delight that ‘The Virginian’ was still being shown on television in the Republic of Ireland.
Source
gene-watson.com and thevirginian.net