Kenneth Ronald "Ken" Berry (born November 3, 1933 in Moline, Illinois) is an American dancer, and comedic actor. Berry, like Dan Dailey ("The Governor and J.J.") and Buddy Ebsen (The Beverly Hillbillies), began his career as a dancer and went on to star in 1960s sitcoms.
Allen Kent Berry (born May 10, 1941 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before the 1961 season. He played for the White Sox from 1962 until he was traded in 1970 to the California Angels. He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers and finished his career with the Cleveland Indians. Ken won two Gold Glove Awards for his play in the outfield in 1970 and 1972. He played his final major league baseball game on May 31, 1975.
Berry was named to the American League All-Star team in 1967, when his White Sox battled the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Minnesota Twins for the pennant all the way down to the last few days of the season.
He led league outfielders in putouts once (1965) and in fielding percentage three times (1970, 1972, and 1973). He tied for the league lead once each in assists and double plays, both in 1972.
Career batting totals for 1,383 games played include 1,053 hits, 58 home runs, 343 RBI, and a lifetime batting average of .255.
Career highlights include:
Ken Edward Berry (born June 21, 1960 in Burnaby, British Columbia) is a former National Hockey League winger.
In 1978 he won the Memorial Cup 1978 with the New Westminster Bruins. He played for the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks tallying 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 55 games. He also played in Germany for SV Bayreuth and EC Hedos Munich.
His brother, Doug, also played in the NHL.
Free-form comedy/variety show starring singer/comedian Ken Barry, this 1972 summer replacement series also featured such soon-to-be-famous performers as Steve Martin, Terri Garr, and Cheryl Ladd as cast members. Off-beat sketch comedy was the order of the day on this short-lived but well-remembered series. Written by Bob Sorrentino
Dancing and the military were a large part of Ken Berry's life. When he was 13 he attended a carnival at his grade school; the dancers impressed him so much that he decided that's what he wanted to do with his life. His parents were supportive, and his dad even booked Ken into variety type shows. At 16 Ken got to join the Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Program. Ken toured towns all across the nation, and through the Air Force the troupe entertained in Germany, Ireland, England, UK and several other countries. Later, while serving in the army, Ken won a spot in Arlene Francis' "Talent Patrol" (1953) show. Ken also got into the All-Army talent contest and appeared on "Toast of the Town" (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show"). When Ken's army hitch was up in 1955, he took the advice of his sergeant in Atlanta, Leonard Nimoy, to move to California. In 1957 Ken enrolled in a school, Falcon Studios, on the GI Bill to study acting. He got a job at the Cabaret Theater for $11 a week (that is not a typo). From 1958 to 1964 he was with the "Billy Barnes Revue." Lucille Ball came to see the revue, and offered Ken a job at Desilu Studios for $50 a week. It was also through the Barnes Revue that Ken met dancer Jackie Joseph; they were married on May 29, 1960. Ken made the transition to TV, and the couple adopted a son, John Kenneth, in 1964, and a daughter, Jennifer Kate, in 1965. A successful screen test led to his breakout role in the classic sitcom "F Troop" (1965). Ken was the bashful, bumbling but good-hearted captain who was always resisting Wrangler Jane's advances (but why?). Though the show was only on for two seasons, it seems like a lot longer because of reruns. After "F Troop", toward the very end of the next TV season, Ken landed the role of a lifetime--taking over for Andy Griffith (I) in the retooled "Mayberry R.F.D." (1968). The show was a hit with Ken in the lead and was still popular when it was canceled in the spring of 1971, when CBS axed all rural-oriented programming, a devastating blow personally and professionally to Ken. After "Mayberry"'s end, he appeared in an unsold "Brady Bunch, The" (1969) spin-off pilot. When work in TV got slow, Ken went on the road again, doing summer and winter stock. He kept hoping for a new series, and he got his wish with "Mama's Family" (1983). Since he played a married man in this series, he did not resist the advances of on-screen wife Dorothy Lyman (in fact, he seemed to be making up for lost time). The series aired for two seasons, then was canceled. Ken went back to doing theater productions. However, when "Mama's Family" was sold into syndication, more new episodes were going to be needed. From 1986 to 1990 it was a top-rated sitcom. Ken was about ready to retire - almost. He continued to get occasional TV roles, and tried theater again for a while (in 1993 he starred with Carol Burnett in the stage production of "From the Top"). Early in 1999 Ken ventured back into television with a guest spot. He enjoyed it. Old soldiers and entertainers never die - they just go into syndication.
