Bus tour highlights Kansas City's celebrity connections

A bus tour could open your eyes to some of Kansas City's home grown Hollywood stars. Don Davidson has been giving the "Homes of the Rich and Famous Tour" for nearly 25 years.

"I've been fascinated over the years by where people live," Davidson explained.

So Davidson decided to turn that fascination into a money making business and it wasn't hard with the countless famous faces who have walked our streets.

"Walt Disney lived here for some years, Ernest Hemingway, Casey Stengle the great baseball player is named Casey because he's from Kansas City. There are over 100 houses we drive by and see," Davidson said.

The all day tour takes you on a bus ride full of information so a piece of paper is recommended and so is note taking.

"They have no idea that all these people lived here at one time," Davidson said of tour groups.

Walt Disney's idea for Mickey Mouse can be traced back to Kansas City and the old Laugh-o-Gram Studio off 31st and Troost but his career wasn't always fruitful. In his younger days he struggled financially.

"He had people that he owed money to that were looking for him. That really prompted him to leave Kansas City," Davidson explained.

Mickey Rooney and his mother moved to Kansas City when he was three years old however, it was short lived, his mother moved him to Hollywood in 1924 and he began his career in pictures landing a role in the Mickey McGuire comedies.

Davidson said that learning about the stars that got their start here gives the locals a sense of appreciation.

"Many of these are famous people that we've forgotten about or didn't realize the impact that they had upon society," Davidson said of our famous locals.

Other famous faces include Jazz musician Charlie Parker who was born in Kansas City, Kansas. He left school in 1935 to become a full time musician who played with a wide variety of local blues and jazz groups.

"We'll continue to produce people who become famous in the music field and movies, in politics and in sports and in a lot of fields," Davidson predicted.

For more information on the tour, contact Don Davdison at 913-338-0129.

Our famous history is just another reason we are Proud to Call it Home.