"From the time he could hold a pencil in his hand, he drew and it was always animals. He’d draw on the ground if he didn’t have any paper and pencil.”
— Norma Jean Sampson Bible, from her book, Beloved Brother
Excerpt: William Sampson, Jr. was born on September 27, 1933, in his grandma’s little yellow frame house in the woods east of Morris, Oklahoma. His mother Mabel said he weighed eleven pounds on the meat scale in grandma’s kitchen. After two daughters, Vena Mae (then three years old) and Norma Jean (just turned two), Mabel finally got her boy, whom she immediately dubbed, “Sonny Boy.”
"Western art is not only usable, but one of several levels of art which can be beautiful and understandable to the general public.”
— Norma Jean Sampson Bible, from her book, Beloved Brother
Excerpt: Sonny joined the Navy in 1955. He used to joke that he thought the Army had drafted him, but when he sobered up, he was actually in the Navy. He served in Osaka, Japan for eighteen months, just after the Korean conflict.
Shortly after his discharge, Sonny mentioned to Norma he’d been taking flying lessons, and told her kids he’d be flying over their part of town. Norma says she was “doubtful about this,” as she’d heard many stories from Sonny and thought this might be one of them. But he actually did it; he flew a little plane right over the house, and as he did, he made the plane dip, as if to salute. The kids went wild as Sonny went zooming off into the sky.
"I’ve been chased, shot at, stomped on and locked up. More than once."
—Will "Sonny" Sampson
Excerpt: Heritage and size caused him problems. Drunks in bars always wanted to take on the big Indian in a fight. If you asked him if he’d ever been seriously hurt in a fight, he’d tell you, "I’ve never been knocked unconscious by a white man."
"I’d guess I’d be foolish not to stay with it while I’m doing well."
— Will "Sonny" Sampson, on his acting career
Excerpt: In a 1979 article in Macleans’s magazine, Brian Freeman described how Sonny got his start in the movies, a career that began with the producers of Cuckoo’s Nest chasing him around the rodeo circuit for a year and a half.
"I didn’t know what they wanted me for, except it must have been something I’d done,” Sonny was quoted as saying. “Each time they got close, I’d just load up and ride out.”
Sonny was a powerful man, and women love powerful men. Many women threw themselves at him, and in all honesty, I can’t say he much minded.
Excerpt: He was friendly with a modest, unassuming manner, a charming Indian cowboy with an almost bashful smile. He would always spend a little time visiting with me before going into Laura’s office. When I called him "Will,” and he corrected me right away. "Call me Sonny,” he said.
— Zoe Escobar
