Recalling Actor/Singer Mike Minor ('Petticoat Junction'/'All My Children'): 8 Years After His Death

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In the 1960s, actor Mike Minor, who died at 75 in 2016, joined the cast as debonair pilot Steve Elliott of TV's beloved country-comedy Petticoat Junction, which was already in its third season.

In the 1980s, Minor was cast as one of Susan Lucci's numerous romantic interests on the daytime serial All My Children,.

Minor also appeared, if not as extensively, on additional daytime dramas, such as Another World and As the World Turns.

A Closer Look

The son of TV producer Don Fedderson (Family Affair, My Three Sons), Mike Minor (who retained his mother Tido's maiden name) was also a singer who recorded two albums. It's just a few bars, but Minor's voice can be heard in the opening credits theme, "Primrose Lane," for his father's short-lived sitcom, The Smith Family (which starred Henry Fonda).

Theatrically trained, Minor had made his stage debut as the male romantic lead in The Impossible Years with Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Nelson.

The multi-talented Minor also had an early interest in professional baseball, which later seguewayed into an interest in golf. As a member of the Hollywood Hackers, an organization of entertainment industry professionals, who travel and play golf while presenting their show biz talents.

His Most Famous Role

It was on Petticoat Junction that Mike Minor made his strongest impact, almost literally: his character Steve Elliott crash-lands his small plane in Hooterville, the fictional small town in the series, and is nursed back to health by the lovely countrified trio Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae), Betty Jo (Linda Henning) and Bobbie Jo Bradley (Lori Saunders). Much was made out of which daughter would eventually walk down the aisle with him. Linda's Betty Jo, the tomboy who showed the least interest, was the eventual winner. A real-life romance was set off in the process, and a year after the two characters married on the show, Mike and Linda (daughter of show creator Paul Henning) married in real life. They divorced five years later.

Forever Petticoat

Mike Minor will be forever cherished for playing Steve Elliott on Petticoat Junction, one of several classic TV shows that showcased traditional family values.