James Best was born Jewel Franklin Guy on July 26, 1926 in Powderly, Kentucky, to Lark and Lena Guy.
Lena was the sister of Ike Everly, the father of the pop duo The Everly Brothers.
Lena died of tuberculosis in 1929, then three-year-old James was sent to live in an orphanage. He was later adopted by Armen Best and his wife, Essa and went to live with them in Corydon, Indiana.
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