John Schneider

by Steve HueyBest known for playing Bo Duke on the hit TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, John Schneider also maintained a parallel secondary career as a country singer for much of the 80s. Born in Mt. Kisco, NY, in 1960, Schneider grew up in Atlanta and started acting at the age of eight; he also learned guitar, and as a teenager he entertained at parties and other social events. He loved auto racing and briefly attempted to become a professional, and that experience helped him land his co-starring role on The Dukes of Hazzard in 1979. He remained with the series until its cancellation in 1985, with a brief interruption due to a contract walkout in 1982, and also appeared in several films and TV-movies. Meanwhile, Schneider recorded a country album called Now or Never for Scotti Bros. in 1981. It was a Top Ten hit on the country charts, and the single Its Now or Never made the Top Five on both the country and adult contemporary charts, just missing the pop Top Ten. The holiday album White Christmas followed, and Schneider went on to sign with MCA, issuing five albums from 1984-1987. He scored four number one singles during that time: Ive Been Around Enough to Know (1984), Country Girls (1985), Whats a Memory Like You (Doing in a Love Like This), and Youre the Last Thing I Needed Tonight (both 1986). He also managed five other Top Ten hits, and one of his LPs, 1986s A Memory Like You, topped the country charts. Schneider kept his acting career going with a variety of guest starring roles on television, plus a few films, and appeared in a couple of Dukes of Hazzard reunion projects. He returned to the spotlight in 2001, when he landed the role of Clark Kents father on the popular WB series Smallville.