He was working for my grandfather when he answered a call for stand ins around Williams, CA. He came back and said he was going to Hollywood to be an actor.

I am from Kingsburg, born and raised, and there are PLENTY of other born and raised here who have the same accent as Slim. It IS a California farmer's accent, and a well known one at that.

There's no California accent, San Joaquin Valley or otherwise, that sounds like that. It must have been an affectation he picked up from people he worked with in the rodeo, and kept because it fit the western persona of most of the characters he played.

Mr. Pickens lived for a time, near the end of his life, in Columbia, CA, where he was a friend of my father. Several old timers, my Dad included, used to go to Rube's Steakhouse in East Sonora for coffee and rolls almost every morning. Mr. Pickens would frequently join them and talk about his time as a rodeo clown and as an actor. Very nice man, and also an avid knife collector.

It amazes me that more people don't recognize the San Joaquin Valley accent. I grew up in Madera and spent a lot of time in K-town (Kingsburg). I can easily tell the difference between a southern accent and a California accent.