From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Lester Alvin Burnett March 18 1911 February 16 1967 better known as Smiley Burnette was a popular American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV playing sidekick to Gene Autry and other Bmovie cowboys He was also a prolific singersongwriter who could play as many as 100 musical instruments some simultaneously His career beginning in 1934 spanned four decades including a regular role on CBSTVs Petticoat Junction in the 1960s Description above from the Wikipedia article Smiley Burnette licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia