Jackson Burns(1956-2016)

Born July 29, 1956 in Poteau, Oklahoma. He is part Native American. Worked on Walker, Texas Ranger; The Con; and Fingerprints. He is the record holder for longest fire drag stunt from a vehicle at 246 feet, Burns was totally engulfed in flames at one point and damaged his Nomex fire suit ; most squib hits at once, 22 total in 15 seconds; and as stunt double for George Kennedy on the motion picture The Man Who Came Back, was dragged from the back of a horse by fellow stuntman, Jody Stelzig, doubling for Eric Braeden, for a record total distance of 282 feet. Jackson, was hit by a car at 17 mph as stunt double for James Gandolfini on the motion picture Dance With The Devil. This is considerably faster than normal stunt car hits and Burns broke the windshield, flew over the top of the car and rolled off of the back, without a scratch. He later performed a car hit for the same actor and movie, of which he launched himself from an 18 wheel truck into the windshield of a passing pickup truck and then rolled to the ground. Gandolfini is said to have based his stuntman character in Get Shorty on Jackson.

Jackson was born in an economically depressed region, known to be the poorest in the state of Oklahoma (Little Dixie). Only child of Luther Jackson Burns and Ermaline Delora Lockhart. Father is of French/Scot-Irish/Cherokee heritage and mother is of Scot/Irish/Choctaw heritage. His father Luther, quit school in 6th grade to help work and take care of his sharecropper parents(also of very limited education) and his siblings. His mother Delora finished high school. Jackson finished high school and graduated in the Class of 1974, Heavener High School, Heavener, Oklahoma. Jackson also attended Northeastern State University at Tahlequah, Oklahoma for a short time.