Sam Conn
Vernon Samuel Morris Conn (November 30, 1962 – January 30, 2010) was a journalist and actor.
Biography
He was born on November 30, 1962 in Chaves County, New Mexico, and died on January 30, 2010 in Santa Clara, New Mexico.[1] He has worked as a cowboy in New Mexico and Texas in the United States and also in Australia.
Conn landed his first broadcast job at the age of 14 at KBCQ radio in Roswell, New Mexico. He was the Sunday morning tape changer and read the local news and weather. From there he received an internship at KBJT radio in Fordyce, Arkansas.
His television debut happened in the spring of 1980 at KOSA-TV. He returned to KOSA-TV for a second stint in 2002. He was the morning anchor at KOBR-TV in Roswell, New Mexico (1993–1995). But he is best known for his years as the "Cowboy Reporter" at KOAT-TV's "Action 7 News" in Albuquerque, New Mexico (1987–1993) and KOSA-TV's "CBS 7 News" in Odessa, Texas (2002–2006). He produced, shot, directed and appeared in a segment called "On the Trail" with Sam Conn.
Conn was, prior to his death, a reporter and photographer for Texas-New Mexico News Papers, which includes the Silver City Sun-News, an edition of the Las Cruces Sun-News. He also writes "On the Trail", a feature series that runs in several of TNMNP publications. The television version of “On the Trail” runs in several American markets as well as some Australian markets.
Conn won more than 30 broadcasting and print awards, including ten First Place Associated Press awards (television) for Best Feature, Breaking News, Best Newscast (anchoring), Best Sports Story and Best Photography.
Conn's interest was to tell real people's stories. His on camera appearance is not the usual that most television viewers have come to consider the norm. Conn incorporates animal actors in his stories. Most of the dogs and horses Conn has “recruited” over the years have been from humane society shelters and “dog pounds.”
Conn became well known for his horsemanship and his horses appeared in several motion pictures including "Silverado", Gambler 3, the television series "The Lazarus Man" on TNT (Turner Network Television), and the film "Friday Night Lights".
References
- ↑ On life's trail, Conn left his mark, retrieved on 2010-2-3