Bobby Wright, Willy Moss on McHale's Navy and Son of Kitty Wells, Dies at 84
Bobby Wright, the actor and singer who played radio operator Willy Moss on the 1960s sitcom McHale's Navy, has died at the age of 84. The Hollywood Reporter reported that he died at his home in Madison, Tennessee.
An obituary published by Austin & Bell gives his full name as John Robert "Bobby" Wright Jr. It says he died on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. He was born on March 30, 1942, in Charleston, West Virginia.
Wright was the son of Kitty Wells, the country music legend. He grew up with music in the family, and he later made his own records.
McHale's Navy was a comedy about a small Navy boat and its crew during the Second World War. It ran for four seasons, from 1962 to 1966. Wright appeared in all 138 episodes, playing Willy Moss, the crew member who handled the radio. He also appeared in the two films made from the show, McHale's Navy (1964) and McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force (1966).
Music was a second career for him. Wright recorded for Decca, ABC and United Artists Records between 1967 and 1979. He had 21 singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, the list that tracks the most popular country songs each week.
His biggest chart success came in 1971, when "Here I Go Again" reached No. 13 on that chart.
For many viewers, he will be remembered first as the radio man in the crew. For country fans, the records and chart run are the other part of his work. Both now stand as his legacy.
