Hee Haw

With the death of Roy Clark the other day I was reminiscing about the show he co-hosted with Buck Owens, Hee Haw. I remember lots of it quite vividly, and probably saw more episodes than I realize. That was entirely because of my paternal grandmother and her sister, who enjoyed the show a great deal.

The show was kind of country music's version of Laugh-In, with blackout sketches and performances by the top country musicians of the day. Every show would start with Owens saying, "I'm a-pickin'," and Clark adding,
"and I'm a-grinnin'." Both could pick it. Clark was a virtuoso on the guitar, banjo, and mandolin, and any other instrument with strings.

The show ran on CBS for a few seasons but then went into syndication for an amazing 22 years. I don't remember my parents watching it with us, but my grandmother certainly did. She was the target demographic, older and rural, although the show was a hit in all markets. It's interesting that the entire thing was based on Southern culture, a sort of minstrel show featuring white Southerners, but no one minded. Sketches often depicted the characters as stupid (Junior Samples in particular), or drunk of moonshine, or lascivious (the set was usually draped with voluptuous girls wearing Daisy Mae outfits).

What I remember most, and I think most people do, is the "PFFT! You Were Gone" song, with Archie Campbell, holding a pitchfork, singing the verse:

"Where, oh where are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over and I thought I found true love
But you met another and PFFT you were gone."

The PFFT was blowing a raspberry. Campbell would stand next to another man holding a sickle, facing away with from the camera, who would turn around on the last line. This often was a guest on the show.

Another favorite of mine was Grandpa Jones, who played a grandpa character from when he was a young man until he was actually old enough to be a grandpa. His bit was to be wiping a window pane (he would stick his arm through to show there was no glass in the window) and be asked, "Hey Grandpa, what's for supper?" He would then recite the menu, often the ideal of a country feast. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Minnie Pearl was also featured on the show. Her shtick was to play the typical hillbilly woman, wearing a hat with a tag still on it. When she came on stage she shouted, "How-deeee!" I don't remember much more of her act than that.

I think my very favorite was Junior Samples, a large man who played a bungler who seemed as if he could hardly speak. His best bit was as a used car salesman, holding up a sign with a phone number on it. Remember the number? It was BR-549, which became so well known a country-rock band used it as its name.

I haven't seen Hee Haw in years, and I doubt it would hold up for me, but it's one of those things that takes me back in time to when I loved to spend time with my grandparents. Those were much simpler days.