(Roy Clark) "He said well, they're calling it "Hee Haw."
I said "they're calling what 'Hee Haw?'" (Announcer) Welcome to Hee Haw,"
starring Buck Owens and Roy Clark! [singing in high voices] (Roy Clark) I mean, "Hee Haw" says it all. [bird squawking] (Sam Lovullo) Videotape was just about
going strong then, just getting started,
so I knew all of the production elements so I was able to put that all together and became the associate producer
of the Jonathan Winters series Ran into him and became friendly
with a couple of writers creators and so forth John Aylesworth and Frank Peppiatt and they were writers for the show and
of course we were all one big family.
We're all producing together and so forth and I noticed that the show wasn't rating well in the South So I started to book certain country people, one of them was Roy Clark, Buck Owens, George "Goober" Lindsey, Minnie Pearl, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans.
And when you think about it, four out of the five became regulars on "Hee Haw,"
and I noticed that the ratings were going up. We made a decision that maybe we ought to entertain a show that would be with music and quick-cut one-liners like "Laugh-In." (Roy Clark) The producers of
the '"Jonathan Winters Show" came to me and asked me
if I would be interested in this idea that they had to do a comedy, musical comedy show, not unlike "Laugh-In." (Sam Lovullo) To me it's like the triple threat guy in football—run, pass, and kick And Roy could play comedy and sing
he was the first person that we went after When the creation of "Hee Haw" got started.
Buck really made a contribution to "Hee Haw" Because of his music and of course of his recording. He wasn't really a comic, his comedy was not the best, but I knew to use him musically and in certain parts. He was a good set up man, so it worked
the combination of the two was just
a beautiful relationship. And then from that the pieces started to fall. You know Archie Campbell came in
from the Grand Ole Opry, Minnie Pearl and
Grandpa Jones from the Grand Ole Opry. And it didn't take long.
Everybody in creation that was in country music
wanted on the show! Incidentally, including the band,
I had 52 people on the show— 52 people.
(Roy Clark) It was supposed to have been a one-hour special on CBS, just to see what the reaction would be (Sam Lovullo) Because there was discussions going on, and Jonathan had been canceled, about this "Hee Haw" show
and there were indicators that
country music was making its movement, we got a call from Perry Lafferty, who I worked with
and for, when I was at CBS.
Remember. I was still a part of the network! And he said to me "Lovullo?" "Where is Peppiat and Aylesworth?
Go get them." Because you need to get to Nashville in a hurry. (Roy Clark) That was the summer
the Smothers Brothers and CBS
had their falling out, which left CBS
with a summer slot So they called us all into Nashville Met most of them for the first time.
Some of the old-timers I had worked with
and loved forever, Grandpa Jones, String Bean, and Archie Campbell (Sam Lovullo) And within two weeks we had to start delivering shows
and so we made our first telecast
on June 15, 1969. The summer of 1969. (Jim Halsey) We go to Nashville to shoot it
and they shot the show He and I were both really sick
after we did the first show because it was everything that we had tried to get away from: the bales of hay,
the corn stalks, the overalls, and stuff like that. (Roy Clark) Finally, I don't know
how long we've been in production they put together a rough cut. I guess the producers said
we better show them something because they look like they're getting restless. Well, when they put it up on the screen,
and we didn't watch fifteen minutes, ten minutes, and then we said "So that's what they're doing.
Now it made sense." You know one thing over here, and then it went right to something else— no continuity at all and that's really what made it. (Roy Clark) You know they say he's 94,
never looked at a girl in his life,
never smoked took a drink or gambled. (Grandpa Jones) Beats me why he wanted to live so long. (Junior Samples) I hate my mother-in-law. Well if it wasn't for your mother-in-law
you wouldn't have your wife.
(Junior Samples)That's another reason I hate her. (Sam Lovullo) The first two shows didn't work One of my associates came to me.
He said the critics are running the show down
it is so bad that the people are going to look at this show
as a result of what the critics are saying,
"Is that all that bad?" And that was the turning point Because the people were reading
what the critics were saying,
tuned into us and said, "hey it's a great show It's a family show," and the ratings
went whoop went right up (Roy Clark) CBS or the world wasn't ready. The next thing you know the ratings went through the roof. (Jim Halsey) What we didn't realize
that the magic to that show was really in the editing ,
in the fast clips. and in the comedy it wasn't a country music show.
It was a show that had country music in it, but it was a comedy show.
We created a new style of doing a television show but the bits and pieces was something that we fell into, because we didn't have time To set up one set and go to it the next
and do a show by show by show. So the pressure was put on us
to go into the editing room and
assemble it and put it together (Roy Clark) Nobody knew what we were doing. Everything was on cue cards.
We did it; we never rehearsed, which is pretty obvious
when you watched the show We just come in and look at the cue card and read it
if we blew it, made a mistake just do it again. A lot of the mistakes made the show
instead of what they were trying to do (Roy Clark) Marvin Knuckles is the laziest one man that I personally have ever seen in my entire life What do you think? (Junior Samples) I know, it is, it is
[laughter] And if he ever wakes up twice a week, and snorting
[laughter] (Sam Lovullo) Was down to a science in that
I would get the guest artist first,
get all their music out of the way. Then the next one in line would be Buck Owens,
get his music out of the way, Then I would bring in everybody for comedy, now Roy would be there
when we would do the comedy,
because the very first thing when we did comedy was
picking and grinning with Buck, and once we got through with picking and grinning Buck would go home And it would be comedy with Roy
and with the rest of the people,
and at the back end, I would do Roy's music. So that's the way I would, you know, finish, the style of this production. (Gunilla Hutton) We would just film twice a year
so around October and then again around June We could shoot everything so quickly,
take my Nurse Goodbody spot for instance,
and do all 13 of them in one day (Gailard Sartain) We would do a body of sketches
like say we do 13 shows at a time They have 13 reruns so we do 13 cornfields back-to-back and, then they'd all be edited in California
after we finished. That's so each set like 13 barbershops back-to-back (Jana Jae) A small studio,
a few people in there like an audience, and we proceeded to do not just one show but I think it was 18 shows altogether and so we did you know all those cornfield shots together,
all the fence shots together, all Buck's songs together,
all the cast songs together all Roy's songs together.
So it was really an interesting process. (Sam Lovullo) If the show was done on the clock
one hour at a time, it never worked. I crossed an anteater with an elephant.
(Crowd) What did you get?
I don't know, but it sure has a sinus problem. (Roy Clark) A big part of the show was the girls. Did you hear about the neurotic red hound?
(Crowd) No, what happened?
He thought people were following him. (Danny Forbes) Very smart,
and they knew what their role was. Linda Thompson says it best, "They were the backdrop, so the men could have the funny lines and do the real comedy," and they were this languishing backdrop in the back, but after a while they really came to the front and
you'd look at people like Gunilla Hutton who had
Nurse Goodbody for 20 years her own sketch, you know Misty had her own sketch, Linda had her own sketch so eventually they really were able to show
the producers and the show
'"ook we have a lot more to offer than, you know, the eye candy that we present"
and I think it was pretty amazing on their part. (Roni Stoneman) They were beautiful, and you know God's work can be very beautiful. (Roy Clark) In fact I've run into people all the time now who said, "the only reason I watch 'Hee Haw' was to see the pretty girls. I said, "I got one up on you. I knew that coming in. Why do you think I was on there?" Of course, you're tall and you're not a model.
Of course, but he said it doesn't matter cause he's not an artist
[laughter] Are you spitting in that pot over there? No, but I've come pretty close to it
[laughter] (Roy Clark) We had talented people from all over and none more talented than Gailard Sartain. (Gailard Sartain) Jim Halsey, who was Rory Clark's manager, had seen the old Mazeppa show at channel 6. He came by one day and said, "How would you like to be on 'Hee Haw' and I said, "Well, I don't know, it's pretty corny."
[laughing] Oh, no, I'll just do Mazeppa. And then I said, "What kind of money could fella make coming?" He says, "Well, let's see, it's after after scale is I think $600 a show." And I [gasping and laughing] passed out when I was revived, I signed up. (Sam Louvello) You all know Gaylord, he's from Tulsa, he's gonna do things his way, and he's gonna rattle and throw everybody off balance. (Roni Stoneman) Gailard Sartain, [kissing sound] What a talent, what a wonderful guy! I just fell in love with him, because he was funny, and he had timing,
it was perfect. (Gunilla Hutton) Gailard, he's nuts in a wonderful way. He is out there. He is not a afraid of anything. He's one of the funniest people in the world
and he's so talented. But he would keep us laughing between takes sometimes kind of naughty, we didn't mind that, so we would
laugh and laugh and laugh (Roy Clark) His talent took over, you know, he could do everything and anything (Gailard Sartain) That's the good thing about hauling a load of furniture, good buddy. At least I'll have a place to live for a couple of weeks while I'm looking for a parking spot.
[laughter] (Danny Forbes) I always liked it when everybody was together, so I would love "Pickin' and Grinnin'" because I loved the camaraderie. That was my favorite part of the show, was the camaraderie. (Roni Stoneman) I liked a family feeling. That made you feel good. And Sam, he was like a daddy. It was a crazy set because, you know, as long as we were on it was like a huge family and that we were all very close. I mean we'd really be excited to see each other. (Roy Clark) Every time we came in, in June, we hadn't seen each other since the previous October and so it was like hey, we could see how much weight everybody had gained and learn all the babies names (Garth Brooks) "Hee Haw" was an American icon that was a family that our families all grew up with and that's that's cool. If you think about "Hee Haw"
you think about one word—family. (Roy Clark) [laughing] My wife's cookin' makes me so emotional every time I eat her mashed potatoes
I get a lump in my throat. [Garth Brooks singing] "Blame it all on my roots,
I showed up in boots, and ruined your black-tie affair..." (Roy Clark) You know, "Hee Haw" was built around guest stars. All of the big stars Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones,
well you just name them. They all did "Hee Haw" and - a lot of them it was the first national exposure that they got. (Garth Brooks) I got through the cornfield twice, got to do it with Grandpa once and Grandpa called me Clint. Everyone was calling me Clint Black at that time. Everyone was calling everybody 'Clint' at that time. (Grandpa) You know, Clint,
[laughter] But Grandpa, you know what, he's one of those guys that, he can call you any name in the book, and you still look at him but just love him to death just sweet man. And that's who he was and you know, Sam gathered those kind of people. Everybody on there was sweet. So this is what "Hee Haw" did, they were tongue-in-cheek yes, but they took their business very seriously. And what they hung their hat on, guys like Roy Clark, Buck Owens, Charlie McCoy, Sam Louvello, what they hung their hat on? was the top list of artists of entertainment
in country music and I'm very lucky to be on that show not only for its national exposure, but just to be on a show that treated country music in such high respect as that show did. (Reba McEntire) You know, Nurse Goodbody asked me if my eyes had ever been checked. I told her no they've been blue all my life. (Sam Louvello)Reba was really introduced to me by Tom T. Hall, and I put her on, and she was good. I really honestly think she deserves to go into the Hall of Fame. Johnny, I've always been puzzled about this.
Why is it easier to steal second base
than it is to steal third base? (Johnny Bench) Well sure that's simple. There's a shortstop between second and third. [laughter] Johnny Bench, I think that the reason for that was That they wanted to get into the cornfield and they wanted to get in with the "Hee Haw" Honeys and stuff like that and they were fun to be with. (Ben McCain) We were so grateful.
That was such a big deal for us To this day, people back in Texas and Oklahoma
still remember you guys were on "Hee Haw." I remember when you guys were on "Hee Haw" and Butch dressed up as Lisa Todd the weather girl And I was Charlie Farkas on the news guy that was a hoot. It was a great experience to work with Buck and Roy and all those folks. (Joe Diffee) "Hee Haw," I was very excited to do "Hee Haw" because you know, we watched it as I was growing up. I mean we never never missed "Hee Haw". You know, to the exclusion of just about everything else, we'd make sure we watched "Hee Haw" you know, and so I was really excited to do it. (Patti Page) Well, that was a fun time. Most of the time they made sure
that people interacted together. And they felt that that was important to know that. The hosts, etc., knew their guests and the guests knew the people who ran the show And that's what I found interesting about that show, because it was like you went to visit them in their home and just had a gay old time. (Vince Gill) I mean if you think about it, "Hee Haw" was probably the most massive exposure country music ever got. I enjoyed all the characters and stuff,
but I was a young kid and I wanted the opportunity to see Merle Haggard singing. I wanted to tune in and see the greats of country music do that.
It was a great opportunity for performance. You know, it had a profound impact on me. (Becky Hobbs) Loved "Hee Haw," always. Because to me, it was a perfect blend of
great country music, humor, you know, and the gals running around and their little outfits, and it had a little bit of risqueness. And it just made you feel good to watch it.
First time I did "Hee Haw," I got to salute, Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
My second time on "Hee Haw" was in 1985. I got to perform live with the "Hee Haw" band
and they were fabulous. I think I did about six "Hee Haws."
I remember doing some lines. So I don't know if it was the cornfield or it was the board that slapped somebody that reached up whammed you, you know. I think it was that, you know. So that's the key I think to "Hee Haw" it was so much variety was packed into that with great talent and good timing. Have you always been dealing And he was a great guy great songwriter Laid-back In some ways White accident reminded me a little bit of Roy Clark, but Roger Miller said I will never do that show there will be a cold cold day in Hades When when I do that show I don't know where where it happened I met I think I was with Roy and I bounced into him at some hotel and Went raw and my Persistence he decided to do he decided to do y'all sooner later. He showed up he wanted to a fiddle tune just him and I and So we were running through rehearsal him and I playing fiddle And I looked over my shoulder and I said I wonder how cold it is in Hades now They were all such great musicians such great talent such great people when when I first was Hired by buck, and they took me to hee haw they wanted me to play an electric boy fiddle I thought I don't know I don't know about this And I really was hesitant to play that blue fiddle because it was different really different Learn the old I started getting ladders The girl with the blue fiddle addressed to the girl with the blue fiddle and more letters the girl with the blue fiddle And it became a trademark because blue shows up, so well on camera on TV It was different was catchy. It was electric. They could tune it however They wanted a little more you can make it sound very very acoustic also so I ended up loving that blue fiddle High in thelma it's nice to know somebody my sooner friends are having a good time tonight. I'm from Oklahoma myself You know and I can tell you the sooner I get back the better and you've heard that movie around the world in 80 days Well we had something very similar That we wanted to do about hee haw Cornfield County it's like Mayberry and So the jeff of the script Was the buck and Roy were going to be in a buckin? Pulled by horses and so and they were going to travel The south and they were going to travel cornfield County so mr. Gaylord had heard about this his son from Oklahoma City really wanted to get into the movie business and so they came in and they wanted to talk to us about this movie and That the bottom line was we didn't know that They were really big fans of he home and mr.. Gaylord who's got oodles and oodles of money, okay? Made Some overtures about the show And he turned to the principal of our organization his name is Nick Van Hoff. He's deceased now and he said to him would you be interested in selling hee haw and This gentleman said You don't have enough money to buy the show there was a pause and Mr.. Gaylord would his group left the scene for about 30 seconds as if to say I'm gonna go back in there and ask him And if he sells me this I'm going to ask him the price, and I'm going to lock him in right now What happened He came in said you sure you don't want to sell me see I told you well how much would you want? You know X number of dollars? He said you got a deal and he bought it to show It was as simple as that and the bottom line was that we were doing now under Mr.. Gaylords control the hee haw show and Everybody was responding very nicely they were happy with the Gaylord family and so forth and so on the gentleman I tell you what it's so precious so interesting each and every time that somebody That I know meet up with the Gaylord people they always say the same thing. Do you see Sam tell me we settle oh? That's a nice feeling it is an interesting tie to see how the Oklahoma connection to early day local country music productions sort of morphed in to Even having an influence on a national show like hee haw hello ed and Velma I got dressed up in my very best shirt here to wish you the very best for me in the buckaroos That joke game doesn't accrual down So hee-haw helped really Not only entertain, but educate a lot of people That normally wouldn't listen to country music or that you know Let's face it. You know it was a good fun humorous Entertaining show, but hee-haw was as much part of our family. I hate to say it was going to church that was just that was a Must and you knew exactly what time it came on what day and you were in front of TV when it came on There's a joy and sharpness to it That's automatically entertaining and so if the country was watching it either out of being entertained or out of out of Like they were at an exhibit, so this you know They you couldn't stop watching. Hee-haw it made a lasting impression on people families have grown up grandparents parents and kids so we've had three going on four generations of People who have kept Hee-haw alive just old-time America was truly American show as corny as it was it It really mattered it really mattered for This music's history in this music's place, but it was fun. You know I think everybody shares that that feeling that you really could just for that hour Can't forget about the news forget about all the wars or whatever is happening You know just kick back and take a trip to cornfield County I can walk down the street in Dallas on more than that New York City I won't go half a block, but somebody will say I'm a picking Well, I'm obligated to say with a lot of grinning Well goodnight mr.. Owens good night, mr.. Clark. Good night. Everybody else and we'll see you next week on You
