Little House On The Prairie Star Charlotte Stewart Used To Hang Out With An Iconic Musician

Given that the show takes place in the late 19th century, it can be easy to forget that NBC's television adaptation of "Little House on the Prairie" was made in the 1970s and early '80s. To put things in perspective, the frontier-set historical drama came out around the same time as the Watergate scandal, the founding of Microsoft, the theatrical release of "Star Wars," and the punk rock movement — all major moments of which the Ingalls family probably couldn't even conceive. In real-life, however, the stars of the beloved show were anything but oblivious to '70s pop culture. In fact, one of its most prominent recurring stars had a close, personal relationship with one of the most iconic musicians of that era. 

"Little House on the Prairie" alum Charlotte Stewart was a key player during the first half of the show's run, portraying Walnut Grove schoolteacher Miss Beadle from the beginning of Season 1, in 1974, through the end of Season 4, in 1978. Interestingly enough, she was absent from the Season 3 premiere, during her "Little House" tenure, which featured a guest appearance by a beloved country musician. "Little House on the Prairie" star Karen Grassle said working with Johnny Cash was a top career highlight. 

While Stewart missed out, she seems to be the only alum who can claim to have regularly gone out on the town with legendary rock star Jim Morrison. The actor opened up about her friendship with Morrison, who passed away in 1971, three years before "Little House" premiered, during an appearance on "The Patrick LabyorSheaux" in August 2026. "He basically became my drinking buddy, because he didn't want to drink alone. [...] Then he would get so drunk that I would have to drive him home," she shared.

Given that she started working in Hollywood in the early 1960s, well before the debut of "Little House on the Prairie," it should come as no surprise that Charlotte Stewart was rubbing elbows with prominent cultural figures. Jim Morrison found massive fame (and was involved in some of the biggest celebrity scandals that completely rocked the 1960s) as the lead singer for The Doors later in the decade. However, Stewart and Morrison's initial meeting actually had very little to do with her acting career — though it was still very much facilitated by her industry connections. Around that time, Stewart was running the famous Los Angeles boutique Liquid Butterly, which shared a building with a talent agency run by her boyfriend, who handled acts like Neil Young and Crosby, Stills & Nash. 

Said building just so happened to be right across the street from the headquarters of Elektra Records, which had signed The Doors in 1966. As Stewart explained on "The Patrick LabyorSheaux," Morrison frequented her shop, and the two struck up a friendship. "I got to work one day, and Jim Morrison was standing in my store, looking out the window. He looks at me and he says, 'Do you mind if I'm here?' [I said,] 'No, I don't mind if you're here,'" the "Eraserhead" star detailed. 

She also clarified that her drinking outings with Morrison were not one-on-one affairs, but usually involved a group of about five people. In any case, the actor's ties to the musicians of her era remained evident as Stewart's career continued. In 1982, she starred in Young's feature directorial debut, "Human Highway," opposite fellow David Lynch collaborators Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell, as well as new-wave icons Devo.