Marion Mitchell Morrison
"John Wayne" or "Duke"
Born: May 26,1907, Winterest, IA
Died: June 11,1979, Los Angeles, CA
When Marion was a boy his family moved west to live in Lancaster, California and later decided to settle in Glendale, California. Marion had an Airedale named Duke and soon the Glendale firefighters started calling him Duke too. Duke's academic and athletic success at Glendale High led to a football scholarship at the University of Southern California.
After being injured in a bodysurfing incident that ended his high school football career, Duke found a job at Fox Film Corporation as a prop man, stunt man, and an extra. He would appeared in several films before a good friend of his noticed his potential as an actor. In 1939, John Ford gave Duke his big break in a film called, "Stagecoach" as Ringo Kid. This film earned an Academy Award nomination for John Ford as Best Director and Duke's film career would take off from there. Duke starred in many more films throughout the years that would earn him more academy awards.
In 1960, Duke directed his first film called, "The Alamo". Four years later he was diagnosed with lung cancer. In 1978, he received more devastating news. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Before his death on June 11, 1979, he and his family created a foundation known as the John Wayne Cancer Institute. After his death Duke was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by Congress.
Duke was a legend even before his death. Millions loved and respected him. His love for God, family, and America was very deep.
This sculpture was created from a sandstone boulder which was thought to be near falling onto the busy Pacific Coast Highway near Pacific Palisades, California. After safely removing the rock, the County of Los Angeles sold it to Australian artist Brett Livingstone Strong. Working with the tools of his trade, and watched by thousands who passed his place of work in a shopping mall, he carved the face of John Wayne. When the work was completed, in February, 1979, it was purchased by Tom G. Murphy of Phoenix, Arizona. He displayed it at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood for a year and the stored it until December, 1985, when he gave it as a gift to Lubbock Christian University. It remained in storage until it was placed here in 1991. Read more....
Brett Livingstone Strong, an Australian artist, is best known for his paintings and sculptures of monumental ideas. In 1972 at the age of 18, Strong was chosen to have an exhibition of paintings and sculptures in the Fine Arts Museum of New South Wales, with worked famed of Sir Henry Moore. Just a year later Strong was chosen to paint a fine art invitation for Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Opening of the Sydney Opera House. In 1977, the Australian Art Council and Trade Commission sponsored a globe-spanning exhibition of Strong’s work. He left Australia soon after a rigorous academic training in architecture.
Strong soon settled in Los Angeles and that is where his American debut story began. A 116-ton boulder was removed from Malibu’s Pacific coast highway and the young artist arranged with the city to purchase the rock for $100. He announced that he would be carving the boulder into a homage to John Wayne. Strong completed the finished piece and celebrated with a sale for $1.13 million.
Throughout his distinguished career Strong has completed a vast amount of sculptures with visionary architect for several private collectors which are among the most influential people in the world. To know more about this artist you can visit his website at https://www.blsart.com/biography.