Roy Clark, legendary country guitarist and star of "Hee Haw", dies at age 85 – Variety



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Roy Clark, legendary guitarist and singer, member of the Grand Ole Opry of the Country Music Fame and Grammy, ACM and CMA Award winner and co-host of the television series "Hee Haw", died today at the age 85 years old due to pneumonia complications at home in Tulsa, Okla.

His appearance on the deliberately silly "Hee Haw" television show betrays his exceptional musical talent and his deep pioneering tradition of country music, particularly the "Bakersfield" sound of the late 1950s and early 1990s. 1960, in which he was deeply involved. coach Buck Owens, who also appeared in the series. With the subsequent emergence of national stars ranging from Emmylou Harris to Dwight Yoakam, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, Clark's vast influence has earned his due. (The following biography is a revised version of that provided by 2911 Media.)

Born April 15, 1933 in Meherrin, Virginia, Roy Linwood Clark, Clark's family moved to Washington, DC when he was young. His father played in a square dance group and brought him to attend free concerts of the National Symphony and various military groups. "I've already been subjected to different types of music before playing. Dad said, "Never shut your ear to music until your heart hears it – because then you could hear something you like."

Beginning with the banjo and mandolin, his first guitar, a Sears Silvertone, was offered as a Christmas present at the age of 14. The same year, in 1947, he made his first appearance on television. In the fertile and diverse musical soil of the cosmopolitan city of Washington, he began playing in bars and diving on Friday and Saturday nights, until playing every night and skipping classes – he ended up give up at 15 years old. "Music was my hello, the thing I loved the most and did the best, whatever it was fun, I would do that."

He soon goes on tour with legends of the country such as Hank Williams and Grandpa Jones. After winning a national banjo contest in 1950, he was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, which led to shows with Red Foley and Ernest Tubb. Still, he would always come back to Latin America to play not only country, but also jazz, pop and beginner rock. In 1954, he joined Jimmy Dean and the Texas Wildcats, appearing in clubs, on radio and television, and even saving Elvis Presley.

But in 1960, he was 27 years old and still struggling. An invitation to open for Wanda Jackson at Golden Nugget in Las Vegas proved to be his big hit. This led to his own tour, on the road for 345 consecutive nights, and upon his return to Vegas in 1962, he returned to the lead and featured in the recording with his debut album "The Lightning" Fingers of Roy Clark. The following year, he had his first hit, "The Tips of My Fingers", a country song that included an orchestra and a string section. "We did not call it crossover at that time, but I imagine it was what it was," he said. "We were not aiming for that, because if you're aiming for both sides, you both miss them. But we just wanted to be credible.

His first appearances on television in 1963 in "The Tonight Show" and "American Bandstand" testified to his casual attitude and sense of rural humor. "Humor is a blessing for me. My first memories are to look at something and see the lightest side, "he said. "But it's always spontaneous. I could not write a comedy sketch for someone else. "

During the 1960s, Clark recorded several albums, shot continuously and appeared in many variety shows. "I was the chip bump. It became: "Let's go get that guy Clark. It's easy to get along with, "he said.

Then came "Hee Haw". A comic and comic show with music, shot in Nashville, "Hee Haw" was created in 1969. Co-starring with Clark and Buck Owens, it was an immediate success. Although CBS canceled the show after two and a half years, despite being ranked in the top 20, the series is in syndication, where it remained until 1992. "I realized for a long time that this n & # 39; 39; was not a figure to me and say that they grew up looking at me since they were "that big". "

The series propelled him into the stars and, over the years, he had 23 successes in the Top 40, including "The tips of my fingers," "I never chose cotton," "Thank God and Greyhound, you're gone, "" somewhere between love and tomorrow "and" if I had to start all over again "

From his home in Tulsa, where he moved in 1974 with Barbara, his 61-year-old wife, Clark continued to tour extensively. "As soon as you reach the stage and you see people smiling and you know they're here to hear you, it's time to have fun," he said. : I keep around me a group of excellent young people and we are not limited musically. It's not about "doing things right" but "doing things right".

He was the rare artist with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and Country Music Hall of Fame; and perform at Grand Ole Opry and Carnegie Hall.

Barbara is survived by her 61-year-old wife, son Roy Clark II, wife Karen, Dr. Michael Meyer and wife Robin, Terry Lee Meyer, Susan Mosier and Diane Stewart, and grandchildren: Brittany Meyer, Michael Meyer and Caleb. Clark, Josiah Clark and his sister, Susan Coryell.

A commemorative celebration will be held in the coming days in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Details are coming.

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