Seven degrees of Chuck Norris with Carter County connections

Chuck Norris, 86, whose rise to fame in US action movies started in the early 1970s starring alongside Bruce Lee, died Thursday after a medical emergency in Hawaii, according to published reports.

Known for his hit TV series ‘Walker, Texas Ranger,’ Norris starred in 47 movies in his career including his 1990 hit “The Delta Force 2: The Columbian Connection.” Portions of that action film were shot on location in Carter County including Elizabethton and Bee Cliff along the Watauga River.

According to several sources including IMDB, Cannon Films moved the movie’s production to Carter County following the death of four crew members and co-star Geoff Brewer after a May 1989 helicopter crash near Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. Norris told interviewers that filming was halted for six weeks following the tragedy and the move to Tennessee to finish shooting was done to help in the recovery process for cast and crew.

Portions of the film were also shot in a former shampoo manufacturing plant in Elizabethton, according to those reports. The company reportedly made “Love Me Tender Shampoo and Conditioner” for AP Cosmetics. The company had secured licensing from Elvis Presley Enterprises to make and market the product.

(IMAGE: Chuck Norris / Official Instagram / 2016)