Roy Clark Shares His Fondest Memories From Hee Haw’s Glory Days

CBS Television, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Starting out in a musical career, Roy Clark would become a country music star and bluegrass sensation with his fast-fingered banjo playing.

Charting singles was second nature for him and Clark became a household name in his own right just from his country hits. Following his incredible successes as an artist, Roy would later be welcomed to the international television phenomenon Hee Haw.

First airing on CBS in 1969, this country music variety show would make itself a staple for over 30 million households in America. In a rare and charming interview with CMT, Clark looks back fondly on his 21-year run with Hee Haw.

“To put it into one word is awfully hard to do,” he said. When they first started production on Channel 5, “we had no idea what was going on.”

Things were thrown together like a last-minute casserole. Music, short sketches, comedy bits, and other random acts scattered across a time slot.

“We’d meet in the men’s room — which was our dressing room — and ask each other, ‘What are we doing?’”

While Clark was filming Hee Haw in Nashville, he was still flying back and forth across the country playing packed concerts. He remembers a blessing from the show: “I used to rejuvenate in Hee Haw.”

Clark passed away November 15, 2018 at the age of 85.

To see some of Roy Clark’s hilarious antics and great memories for him, watch this Hee Haw reunion video below!

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