Some might even call Keith a celebrity.

Keith, 50, has lived in town for seven years and came to Tombstone from Kansas City to give acting one last shot. After years of working jobs at renaissance fairs and casinos, Keith now portrays Tombstone's famous ­­Doc Holliday at the O.K. Corral. He also owns the O.K. Corral's theater company, Tombstone Huckleberry Productions, where he acts in more than 20 shows a week.

It was in 2009 when Keith was featured on "The Colbert Report," a satirical news show on Comedy Central.

Colbert, known for giving his "Colbert?Bump," a faux-endorsement to celebrities and politicians he features on his show, aired Keith's segment in 2009 as part of a series called "Difference Makers."

"Colbert" host Stephen Colbert and his producers contacted Keith after reading an article in the Los Angeles Times that dealt with Keith's fight to perform a show on Tombstone streets.

Tombstone Mayor Dusty Escapule had shut down Keith's street show after he was cited for, as Keith describes it, an alleged "illegal street performance."

Keith fought back.

Keith's "Colbert" segment included a camera crew following him around town as he embarked on his court case against the mayor. The two fought it out in court and Keith eventually came out the winner. Although one might see this as a victory, for Keith it has yet to change anything.

"The whole point of doing my street show was to keep tourists in town until the end of the day," Keith said. "It worked. We were successful. But when store owners saw people leaving their shops at 4:30 to see our street show at 5, they thought we were taking away business from them."

Normally all shows performed at the O.K. Corral end by 3 p.m., something that Keith had hoped to change.

"It's a town with global name recognition squandered on a retirement hobby for playground bullies," Keith said.

"There's lots of dirty politics. This place has enormous potential and if they wanted to run it like a tourist attraction I could show them how."

Keith's run-ins with the mayor and city marshal have caused him to feel wrongfully persecuted for trying to improve business throughout the town.

"You can't tell people in this town how tourism is done," he said.

"In this town if you can afford a lawyer you can fight back, otherwise there is no first amendment here. Here people are above the law, and if you can't afford a lawyer up front, you can't get help."

Keith's plans for expanding tourism, keeping people in town with his street shows until after 5:00 p.m., have yet to be accepted by locals.

Keith continues his fight to improve tourism.

Tombstone Mayor Dusty Escapule could not be reached for comment.