From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Jackson DeForest Kelley January 20 1920 June 11 1999 was an American actor screenwriter poet and singer known for his iconic roles in Westerns and as Dr Leonard Bones McCoy of the USS Enterprise in the television and film series Star Trek Kelley was delivered by his uncle at his parents home in Atlanta the son of Clora née Casey and Ernest David Kelley who was a Baptist minister of Irish and Southern ancestry DeForest was named after the pioneering electronics engineer Lee De Forest and later named his Star Trek characters father David after his own Kelley had an older brother Ernest Casey Kelley As a child he often played outside for hours at a time Kelley was immersed in his fathers mission in Conyers and promised his father failure would mean wreck and ruin Before the end of his first year at Conyers Kelley was introduced into the congregation to his musical talents and often sang solo in morning church services Eventually this led to an appearance on the radio station WSB AM in Atlanta Georgia As a result of his radio work he won an engagement with Lew Forbes and his orchestra at the Paramount Theater In 1934 the family left Conyers for the community of Decatur He attended the Decatur Boys High School where he played on the Decatur Bantams baseball team Kelley also played football and other sports Before his graduation Kelley got a job as a drugstore car hop He spent his weekends working in the local theatres Kelley graduated in 1938 During World War II Kelley served as an enlisted man in the United States Army Air Forces between March 10 1943 and January 28 1946 assigned to the First Motion Picture Unit After an extended stay in Long Beach California Kelley decided to pursue an acting career and relocate to southern California permanently living for a time with his uncle Casey He worked as an usher in a local theater in order to earn enough money for the move Kelleys mother encouraged her son in his new career goal but his father disliked the idea While in California Kelley was spotted by a Paramount Pictures scout while doing a United States Navy training film
HydraHD
