Roy Clark |
Roy Clark was one of the best entertainers, and funniest guitar players ever, He was a consummate, multi-talented showman. He was a most influential member of the Country Music industry, and his performances helped to popularize it. He hosted the television show, Hee Haw, for 24 years, along with Buck Owens.
Roy Clark on The Tonight Show |
Mr. Clark passed away this past Thursday, November 30th at age 85.
His parents owned a farm in Virginia, but at age 11, they moved to Washington D.C. where his father got a job in the Navy ship yard. Roy's father was also a semi-professional musician who played a variety of musical instruments, including banjo, fiddle, and guitar.
When Roy was 14 years old, his father taught him to play guitar. Roy was a quick study, and soon was playing not just the guitar, but also banjo, and mandolin. He had a great ear, and was influenced by the style of guitarist George Barnes. Roy also used to go to the many clubs in the D.C area, to not just watch the guitarists play, but also steal their licks. Though Roy played a variety of instruments, he says his first love was the guitar.
Young Roy Clark |
At age 16, Clark teamed up with guitarist Carl Lukat as his rhythm guitar player. Clark made his first TV appearance in 1949 on a local television station.
By age 17, he had won his second National Banjo title, and in doing so appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. This brought him exposure to some well-known acts, and he was soon hired as back up guitarist for banjo player/comedian, Stringbean (David Akeman), Annie Lou and Danny, Lonzo and Oscar, and Hal and Velma Smith.
Publicity photo of young Roy Clark |
These acts performed alongside such well known stars Ernst Tubb, and Red Foley. Their tours introduced Clark to some playing some large venues.
Despite being in front of an audience, Roy Clark admits that he was a shy kid and turned to humor to overcome this on stage.
When he was in school, Country Music was not popular, and despite his success, he was made fun of by some of his classmates. By clowning around, it seemed to help him fit in. In fact he was not confident enough in himself to perform in a serious manner, until the early 1960’s.
Jimmy Dean |
By 1957 Clark left Washington. He said he never intended to be a Country guitarist. He just wanted to play the music he liked, that made him feel good.
Hank Penny's Band |
In 1960 Clark went to Las Vegas and hooked up in a Country Western Swing band playing guitar for bandleader-comedian Hank Penny.
Wanda Jackson and The Party Timers |
Roy Clark's first successful LP |
By 1970 Clark had become the highest paid Country star in the United States earning $7 million dollars a year. He also became a headliner in Vegas, making numerous appearances there during the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Roy Clark with Jimmy Dean |
Roy as Myrtle Halsey 1968 |
Roy Clark made his mark as an actor in a recurring role on The Beverly Hillbillies as a dual character; businessman Roy Halsey, and Halsey’s mother Myrtle Halsey. Ironically, when Clark became successful in Las Vegas, he signed up with the Halsey Talent Agency. So his character was named after his own agent.
Roy Clark on The Odd Couple |
During the mid 1960’s Clark spent two years as a co-host of a short-lived Country music variety show called Swingin’ Country.
Hee Haw 1969 |
Then in 1969, Clark, and Buck Owens were hired as co-host of the syndicated comedy and Country music television show Hee Haw. This show was intended to be a Country version of the show Laugh In. It ran on CBS from 1969 to 1971.
Hee Haw in syndication |
Roy Clark Celebrity Theater |
In 1983 Roy Clark was the first performers to open a theater in Branson Missouri that was linked to an entertainer. At the time it was called the Roy Clark Celebrity Theater, and Clark frequently performed there during the 1980’s and 1990’s. He sold his interest, and the venue in now called The Hughes American Family Theater.
Roy went on and began a limited schedule of touring which included playing with Ramona Jones and the Jones Famiy Band at their annual tribute to Grandpa Jones in Mountain View Arkansas.
Roy and Barbara Clark |
Winner of Roy Clark's Tri-Pacer |
He also was a certified pilot since he was 23 years old, and owned several aircraft. His first was a 1953 Piper Tri-Pacer, that he auctioned off to benefit the charity; Wings of Hope. He flew himself to many of his concerts.
Clark with a Mosrite Gospel 12 string |
1951 Fender Broadcaster |
Up until then he had been playing guitars that had a very high action, which was not conducive for his style of playing.
1952 Les Paul |
Clark later purchased a 1952 Gibson Les Paul gold top, which he never sold. He was photographed in his days with Capitol Records with a Gibson ES-335, but states this was a borrowed guitar.
Roy Clark with his 1963 Jaguar |
Leo Fender gave Roy Clark a 1963 Jazzmaster, and he played it for a while on the Jimmy Dean Show. Leo knew Hank Penny, and Mr. Penny was able to persuade Leo in giving it to Roy.
Roy Clark with his Gibson Byrdland |
During his early years working with Ernest Tubb, he became acquainted with Tubb's guitarist, Billy Byrd. Byrd and Hank Garland designed the guitar for Gibson. It has a 23" short scale neck.
1st Gretsch Roy Clark model |
One of his friends was Shot Jackson, an incredible steel guitar player in Nashville. In later years Jackson owned a guitar repair business/music store. He was the guy that pulled the Baldwin Prismatone pickup out of Willy Nelson's destroyed Baldwin classical guitar, and put it into a Martin N-20; Willy Nelson's guitar known as Trigger.
Shot Jackson also build and sold steel guitars under his own brand; Sho-bud. Jackson had a relationship with the Baldwin Company that had purchased the Gretsch brand name. He convinced the company to build a Roy Clark model.
2nd version Gretsch Roy Clark model |
Clark also owned an Ovation 12 string Deacon electric guitar that he used when he played Malaguena and a few other tunes.
Clark with 12 string Ovation Deacon |
He had originally played it on his Jazzmaster. On the Odd Couple, he played Malaguena on a Martin D-28. But he loved the big sound he got from playing the song on the Ovation 12 string electric.
Roy Clark said that he used the 12 string Deacon when he plays the Dr. Zhivago theme, Somewhere My Love, to emulate a balalaika. He also has a similar Ovation six string model called a Preacher.
Roy Clark with a Barney Kessel ? |
Clark has been seen on shows with a Gibson Barney Kessel. In an interview, he says that borrowed that guitar. He does own a Ventura copy of the Gibson Barney Kessel.
Roy with Heritage Signature model |
The Heritage designation is model 535, however his guitar has only one cutaway. During his most recent years, he played Heritage guitars in concert.
He says he still loves his Byrdland, but since the airlines kept damaging it, he decided to quit taking it on the road due to the guitars value. He did admit that the Heritage has a slightly different sound.
He was given a 1939 Martin D-45 by guitarist Doyle Dykes. It had belonged to an old friend of Clark named Smitty Smith. Smith was Doyle's uncle.
Roy claims his first good guitar was a Martin D-18. He also owned a Martin 00-18. As for Gibson guitars, he owned two late 1930's Super 400's.
He also owned a Gibson L-5, L-7, and L-10 and a black Gibson Les Paul.
On the road he took a Takamine flat top. Roy Clark also owns a 1958 Fender Stratocaster, and some G&L guitars. He has an old Fender Twin amp that he used when he was younger. Roy has consistently used Fender amplifiers.
Recent concert Hot Rod Deville and a different Heritage guitar |
In recent concerts he is seen with a Fender Hot Rod Deville amplifier.
5 comments:
Marc,
Thank you for the excellent article on Roy Clark and his guitars. I always watched Roy closely to see what instruments he played on tv. From Gibson to Gretsch, to Mosrite, Baldwin, Fender, and Ovation...I figured whatever he played must have been a good guitar. There wasn’t a style or sound Roy couldn’t play...he was a true legend! To say “they don’t make ‘me that way anymore” is true when it comes to Roy. We will miss him always. Thanks again.
-Scott Meli
GGGGRREEEAAATTTTTT!!!!!!!!
As many instruments as he played, he was like Prince
Though I saw a flat top on TV with the sho bud brand on the head stock that he was playing. Any ideas?
Lessdrop, Shot Jackson, the guy who built Shobud pedal steels, owned a music store in Nashville. He sold guitars at his shop. I have never heard of a flat top Shobud, but I know some music stores place their "badge" on guitars. He was the guy that sold Willy Nelson his Martin N-20 and installed the Prismatronic piezo pickup. A drunk stepped on Willy's Baldwin guitar and smashed it.
Best wishes,
Marc
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