He played iconic roles in more than 60 films but for those of us in Southern Arizona, Val Kilmer will aways be Doc Holliday.
It's hard to believe that through Hollywood magic or missed opportunity, Val Kilmer had never stepped foot onto the dusty streets of Tombstone until a local woman made it her mission to give the screen legend the celebration he deserved.
To experience the Old West there's no place quite like Tombstone, where cowboys still walk the streets at high noon.
"The OK Corral gunfight is right here inside... 11 O'clock folks!" bellows one of the performers from the middle of Allen Street.
In the 21st century, shooting is a lot less violent with smartphones than the six-shooters of the past.
"We're a bucket list destination to people around the world. That should kind of speak volumes to everybody."
Sherry Rudd relocated to this corner of Cochise County and got swept up in the history of the region. And who could blame her. The boomtown's tourism reaches nearly 500,000 visitors every year seeking an authentic cowboy experience.
Legendary outlaws and lawmen alike cast long shadows on these streets but everywhere you look you'll see the face of an actor whose real-life journey made for an even better story worth remembering.
John Henry "Doc" Holliday came to Tombstone in the 1880s seeking good health and renewal.
And one could argue in 2017, so did Val Kilmer.
The Hollywood star making an appearance at the inagural Doc Holli-Days might seem like a no-brainer.
"I invited him and he said yes!" Sherry said.
But Sherry's invite to Val only happened because she ran into him outside of his one man show about Mark Twain and she had to shoot her shot.
"It was just an idea and Val just got up and that just how Val is. He just kind of got up the next morning and was like yep, good idea, I'm coming," Sherry said.
An unlikely close friendship grew from the hard, dry desert floor, blossoming into something Sherry will cherish forever.
"It was incredible," she said.
His brief time in Tombstone, which was his first trip ever considering that the film was shot about an hour away in Mescal, became a blessing in his life when his health was already taking a turn for the worse.
"It was so wonderful. You can just see the amount of people that showed up for him. It was so incredible and so touching for him. He literally was just overwhelmed," she said.
"Having Val here just made it so easy. He loved Tombstone and the fact that people here in Tombstone loved him."
In the years leading up to his untimely passing, Sherry would send texts and share images she knew would inspire him and add a little light during a dark time.
"Pretty often I sent him sunset pictures just regularly saying we're thinking about you here in Tombstone. Here's an Arizona sunset," Sherry said.
They exchanged messages like these... with simple 'thank you's' from Val's end:
"Please send my love all the way through Tombstone to the OK Corral" another read.
A Hollywood movie star who, on the most human level, just wanted to share love and joy through artistic connection.
Sherry told me it's hard to put their simple but profound relationship into words.
She said he was "unique... incredible... There was just no one like him."
"He was just a genius in so many ways. He really cared a lot about people and what people thought," Sherry said.
We wrapped our interview just as the clouds opened up as they do during the monsoon. Something similar happened during that legendary first ever Doc Holli-Days in 2017 and Sherry feared Val would think the festival a failure if it were washed out.
He told her of his spiritual connection to the thunderstorms with their purifying power.
Perhaps a sign from beyond from this real life western legend.
Remebering Val Kilmer - A Tombstone Tribute takes place this weekend, August 8th - 10th
——
Dan Spindle co-anchors Good Morning Tucson on KGUN 9 and is an award-winning storyteller whose work has earned him honors from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmys, the Associated Press and the Utah Society of Professional Journalists for both anchoring and reporting. Dan is passionate about history and loves to explore the Grand Canyon State. Share your story ideas with Dan by emailing dan.spindle@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or X.
