Don Stroud (
Donald Lee Stroud (born September 1, 1943) played drummer Jesse Charles of The Crickets in the Buddy Holly Story.
American actor, musician, and surfer. Stroud has appeared in over 100 films and 200 television shows.
On television, his debut came in 1967 in the
Barry Sullivan NBC western series
The Road West as Nino. Being under contract at Universal, Stroud appeared in
Barnaby Jones,
Cannon,
Charlie's Angels,
Ironside,
Hawaii Five-O,
Marcus Welby, M.D.,
Starsky & Hutch, and
The Streets of San Francisco, among others. Stroud had many other guest appearances, including
The Fall Guy,
Gunsmoke,
Hotel, and
The Virginian. He had a reoccurring role as Mike Varrick in the miniseries
Mrs. Columbo (1979-1980) which starred
Kate Mulgrew.
He played Captain Pat Chambers in
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and
The New Mike Hammer with
Stacy Keach. In the television pilot movie
Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985) he played
The Great Kahuna, and also revised the role in series
The New Gidget (1986). He also has roles in
Nash Bridges (1996–2001) and
Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1996–2000)
On September 16, 1970, during a low-level sequence flying a two-seat
SV.4C Stampe biplane across Lake Weston, a duck flew through the propeller's arc, striking the pilot Garrison in the face, knocking him unconscious. The aircraft flew into five power lines, snap rolled and plunged inverted into Ireland's large
Liffey River. Stroud rescued the unconscious Garrison, treading water until rescue crews found them almost an hour later. Stroud was unhurt, but Garrison required 60 stitches to close a head wound.
