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Kiki Ebsen, daughter of Buddy Ebsen, tells the truth about her dad’s toxic Tin Man scare, life with Jed Clampett, her musical career and touring with Chicago, Belinda Carlisle and Al Jarreau plus, her love of horses. We talk about songwriting, favorite songs, fame and the challenge of finding your own identity in a famous family.
Buddy Ebsen’s daughter, Kiersten “Kiki” Ebsen, explains that while her dad may have played the hillbilly Jed Clampett on TV, in real life he was much more sophisticated than the character he portrayed.
Kiki remembers the family gathering for a big celebration when The Beverly Hillbillies debuted. At the time, she didn’t really understand what a big deal it was. She just assumed all dads were on TV! After all, her father had been in the business since the late ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s. What did confuse her was why he would come home from work wearing that full fake moustache he sported as Jed Clampett.
Although her father didn’t talk about it with the family for many, many years, Kiki shares the truth about Buddy Ebsen being cast as the Tin Man in the original The Wizard of Oz. We talk about the makeup that nearly killed him and the effect that experience had on his career.
I asked Kiki why she chose music over acting. For her, music was comforting, and it led to an amazing musical career. From touring with Chicago, Al Jarreau, Tracy Chapman, Michael McDonald, and Christopher Cross to what she says was her most fun tour of all, Belinda Carlisle, she has some great stories to tell.
We have a great conversation about music, songs to travel by, and those songs that bring back memories the moment you hear them. We talk about music from Lionel Richie, Rickie Lee Jones, Pete Townshend and others.
Kiki is also a prolific songwriter, so of course we had a great conversation about her music, her songs, and Lookout Mountain Band, the group she performs with now. The band features two members with famous relatives, Kipp Lennon, brother of The Lennon Sisters and James Raymond, son of David Crosby.
As a teen, Kiki spent a lot of time splitting her life between Balboa Island and the family ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. Life at the ranch fueled her love for horses, and as a young girl, that passion led to several successful years as a champion equestrian.
Later in life, that same love of horses led her to rescuing horses and starting The Healing Equine Ranch. The ranch focuses on equine-assisted learning, creating a healing partnership between horses and people. You can learn more about it in the link below.
I ask Kiki about some of her songs, the inspiration behind them, and which ones she would love to see reach #1 on the charts. Her enthusiasm for hiking and finding mountains to climb inspired the song “Take My Time.” Her picks for the top spot include “Candles,” “Better Friends,” “Keep You On My Mind,” and a rocking country song called “Loud Mouth Girl.”
We wrap up with an honest conversation about fame and identity. Having a famous parent or relative can come with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to figuring out who you are outside of their shadow. It’s something that not only our famous relatives have had to navigate, but something my guests and I are also learning to handle in our own lives.
It’s a conversation about family, music, horses, fame and finding your own identity. And, as always, there are plenty of great stories along the way.
RESOURCES + LINKS:
Kiki Ebsen website: https://kikiebsen.com/
The Healing Equine Ranch: https://www.thehealingequineranch.com
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RelativelyFamousPodcast\
Website: https://www.relativelyfamous.net/
#wizardofoz #beverlyhillbillies #abarnabyjones #BuddyEbsen #KikiEbsen