The voice of Charlie Brown arrested

Early fame can be a burden on former child stars. Even if you weren't exactly famous it can be a problem.

I heard on the radio this morning that a kid who was the voice of Charlie Brown on some early Peanuts TV specials has been arrested. He's now 54. Apparently he's been accused of making threats. Prosecutors claim that the fact that he's terminally ill with pancreatic cancer means he has "nothing to lose" and is especially dangerous.

According to imdb.com, he appeared in a number of movies and TV shows. He played Alexander Bumstead in a TV series based on the comic strip Blondie. His last appearance was in 1972 in an episode of My Three Sons.

It's a sad story.

I'm not suggesting that being a kid actor resulted in his current troubles, but it's the reason its being reported in the national press.

And fame that comes a little later in life is no picnic, either. It made it into the papers that the fellow who sang "American Pie" got a ticket for speeding in a school zone in Maine. He drove a Chrysler and was fined $400. He got a speeding ticket and it was national news.