Singer, Songwriter, Television Personality. He was best known for his song "A Daisy a Day," which made the Billboard Top 20 on both the country and pop music charts in 1973. A taped copy of "A Daisy a Day" was brought along by the astronauts of the the Apollo 17 lunar mission, making it the first recorded song ever played on the moon. Strunk also appeared in the final season (1972 to 1973) of TV's "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", playing the part of a country-bumpkin newscaster reading "News From Kingfield," a small town in northwestern Maine. He had three humorous songs make it onto the country music charts: "Next Door Neighbor's Kid," "The Biggest Parakeets in Town," and "Pamela Brown," plus the patriotic "My Country." Strunk eventually settled on a 100-acre farm at Eustis, Maine. He lost an election for a Senate seat in the Maine Legislature by one vote in 1970. In 1980, he was arrested and tried on a charge of providing alcohol to minors when he had a high-school graduation party on his farm for his son and classmates; he said the party was meant to keep the young people from drinking and driving on their graduation night. His fans in the packed courtroom broke into applause when he was acquitted. Strunk was a pilot, and started restoring antique airplanes after he left show business. He had a heart attack at the age of 45 while flying a restored airplane in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. He was killed instantly in the plane crash, along with his passenger, Richard Ayotte.
Singer, Songwriter, Television Personality. He was best known for his song "A Daisy a Day," which made the Billboard Top 20 on both the country and pop music charts in 1973. A taped copy of "A Daisy a Day" was brought along by the astronauts of the the Apollo 17 lunar mission, making it the first recorded song ever played on the moon. Strunk also appeared in the final season (1972 to 1973) of TV's "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", playing the part of a country-bumpkin newscaster reading "News From Kingfield," a small town in northwestern Maine. He had three humorous songs make it onto the country music charts: "Next Door Neighbor's Kid," "The Biggest Parakeets in Town," and "Pamela Brown," plus the patriotic "My Country." Strunk eventually settled on a 100-acre farm at Eustis, Maine. He lost an election for a Senate seat in the Maine Legislature by one vote in 1970. In 1980, he was arrested and tried on a charge of providing alcohol to minors when he had a high-school graduation party on his farm for his son and classmates; he said the party was meant to keep the young people from drinking and driving on their graduation night. His fans in the packed courtroom broke into applause when he was acquitted. Strunk was a pilot, and started restoring antique airplanes after he left show business. He had a heart attack at the age of 45 while flying a restored airplane in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. He was killed instantly in the plane crash, along with his passenger, Richard Ayotte.
Bio by: Steven Tynan
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