Pernell Roberts rides into the sunset...
From CNN:
Pernell Roberts, the actor who played the eldest Cartwright brother on NBC's "Bonanza," died at his Malibu, California, home Sunday at 81, his lawyer said. Roberts is also remembered as "Trapper John, M.D.," the main character in a medical drama that aired on CBS for seven years, ending in 1986.
Roberts, a native of Waycross, Georgia, spent much of his adult life "pursuing his dream of equality for all," according to a family statement released by his lawyer, Richard Stone. Roberts walked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama, the family said. "On the set of 'Bonanza,' he protested the use of all-white crews and guest stars, finding some support but never enough to satisfy his sense of outrage."
I used to watch both Bonanza and Trapper John, M.D., back as a kid. I'll miss Pernell Roberts. I really liked the character of Adam Cartwright... the "smart" brother among the Cartwright kids... helping keep 'Hoss' and 'Little Joe' out of trouble. :-)