Mike Minor R.I.P.

Mike Minor, best known for playing Steve Elliott on Petticoat Junction, died on January 28 2016 at the age of 75. The cause was cancer.

Mike Minor was born Michael Fedderson on December 7 1940 in San Francisco. He was the son of Don Fedderson, the producer best known for the shows My Three Sons and Family Affair. When he was 13 years old he began voice lessons. He began his professional singing career at Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills. He attended  University High School in Los Angeles and Brown Military Academy in San Diego.

Mike Minor made his television debut on an episode of My Three Sons in 1962. He appeared several more times on the show, although he played a different character nearly every time. He guest starred on two episodes of The Lieutenant and one episode of Petticoat Junction before he was cast as Steve Elliott on Petticoat Junction. The character of Steve Elliott first appeared on the show in 1966. He was a pilot who crashed in Hooterville and ultimately married Betty Jo Bradley (played by Linda Kaye Henning). Not only did Mike Minor remain with the show for the rest of its run, but he also appeared several times as Steve Elliott on the related show The Beverly Hillbillies. In 1968 he appeared on stage in The Impossible Years. He released the album This Is Mike Minor in 1966, as well as several singles during the decade.

In the Seventies Mike Minor guest starred on The Beverly Hillbillies  as a con man intent on marrying Elly May Clampett for her money. He also guest starred on episodes of CHiPs and Vega$. He had a recurring role on the daytime serial Edge of Night. In the late Seventies he had a recurring role on the soap opera All My Children. In the Eighties he had a role the soap opera Another World. In the Nineties he guest starred on L.A. Law.

As an actor Mike Minor was fairly talented. He was capable of playing different sort of roles. He played the honest, upright Steve on Petticoat Junction, but then played a conniving con man on The Beverly Hillbillies. He was convincing in both roles. He also had a good singing voice, which was often put to use on Petticoat Junction. While he did not sing the theme song to Petticoat Junction as often reported, he did sing the theme song to the first season of the sitcom The Smith Family, "Primrose Lane".