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I'm not a Hee Haw fan by any means, but I've always recognized Roy Clark as a stunningly great guitarist. He brought joy to millions.
He will be missed.
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11-15-2018 01:54 PM
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Wow, rip Roy
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One of the greats. I have been a fan for many years. RIP
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He was a tremendous guitarist and an even better performer. I was introduced to his personality on Hee Haw, and then discovered how truly great a player he was hearing my father play his albums at home. The music world, and world in general is better because of him. RIP.
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Two more. Les Paul's got nothing on Roy Clark!
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rip roy clark
cheers
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RIP, Roy.
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In college back in the early '70's, I was in student government. We had a concert scheduled with the Earl Scruggs Review with Roy Clark. While never a country fan, I have always enjoyed some occasional bluegrass, and that was going to have some amazing displays of picking and fiddling prowess.
So I pulled strings to be a backstage Assistant. And was assigned to be the Assistant for Roy Clark. It was an amazing afternoon and evening with one of the gentlest, sweetest, and most talented people I've ever been around.
I was required to be at the facility at 3:00pm, WAY before the 7:30 PM show. As it turned out, Roy always arranged two hours before a show and 30 minutes to an hour after to listen to people who wanted him to hear them. He wanted plenty of time to setup a room for this including comfortable waiting and warmup areas for those who were scheduled.
He had a list for me of the people he had scheduled, to handle my part of the process.
So that was my task, finding three close rooms and helping Roy setup the chairs as he wanted them, then ushering the people in to wait, warmups, and in to Roy to listen and talk with them.
Why? Well, some people had been sweet and helpful well beyond reason when he was starting out. Some had been selfish jerks. He said he always tried to emulate the attitudes and behaviors of those he respected, ergo ... he listened to everyone patiently and with a gentled accuracy of comments.
Had he ever found someone really good enough to involve himself in helping them along?
Two or three, really.
So ... he saw people for 15 minutes, four per hour, normally 10 to 12 people per show, maybe 100 shows a year or so, had for years, and only 2 or 3 had been good enough to really expect to have a pro career at a high level?
Yep. Told me he also did this at the Opry.
Why?
They needed someone they trusted to listen to them, to feel they had been *heard* by someone, that what they did *mattered* to someone they respected. That was a small enough request of him he was happy to be asked. Those who really could play typically could get attention during performances but there was always a possibility of someone who hadn't tried that route successfully.
I listened as he asked a few questions and talked to get them comfortable (no mean feat in front of their legend) then encouraged them to play. For some he picked up his guitar and played backing. Carefully, gently but intensely there, he *listened*.
And then told each he'd appreciated x or y about their playing, wanted them to continue as music brings such pleasure especially in life's rough times ... but, no. They didn't have x, whether it was the complete physical dexterity needed, sense of timing, whatever.
And in telling them what they lacked most, he was helping them to continue to improve. But not avoiding the other part ... they should enjoy the heck out of their music, but ... no false hopes of a career. And a life that most people wouldn't actually enjoy anyway.
Most everyone was a bit disappointed but very happy when they left. One high school boy wasn't dressed very well. Roy asked if he'd a ticket and the boy said no. Roy just looked at me and said "Fix that." So I ran and got a ticket.
It was an uplifting afternoon and evening for me. When "we" finished, and he pointedly included me in a number of "we" comments, he pulled up his guitar and a banjo and warmed up while talking with me. Of course, that I played blues/rock guitar and some slide came up, and he asked if I wanted to play for him. I told him I knew already what his answer would be, and it would be correct.
He nodded with a grin ... but said he'd still love to hear, pulling a slide out of his case and handing me his dreadnought. So I played a bit of blues slide as he grabbed his classical. 2 minutes or so. Had him laughing a bit, and he asked me in detail about my technique with the slide as I was damping strings in a way he'd not seen.
And then, curiosity satisfied, set his guitar down and started talking other things. Ahem.
Then Earl came in with his grandsons to chat a bit, both boys were around 15 and incredible pickers/fiddlers already. Then Earl led a prayer before the show and off they went. I had a front row center seat saved for me, it was an awesome display of talent having a *massive* amount of sheer thrill performing together.
I think they had more fun than the audience. Which was enthusiastic and highly appreciative.
Then I helped Roy hear the last few supplicants and helped him pack his instruments in the bus. Earl and the gang waiting patiently as always it seemed.
The final handshake was heartfelt ... he was intensely grateful for my (little enough) help, and I was intensely honored simply to have been around him, let alone of use.
RIP, my gentle and supremely talented friend of a day.
Neil
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When I was a "youngster", my parents would let me stay up to watch The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson when Roy Clark was on. I was mesmerized by his playing and entertained with his humor. RIP Roy.
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Neil, man, that is one of the very best musician stories I have ever heard. Thanks for that!
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Great player singer and tv host.
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MONSTER talent.. RIP Roy,
You said it yourself, and always brought a tear to my eye...
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Monster guitar player had no issue with jazz could play with Joe Pass. No small feat. Roy I pray that the gates of heaven are open for you.
Last edited by deacon Mark; 11-15-2018 at 09:38 PM.
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I remember Roy Clark introducing 16 year old fingerstyle phenom Tommy Jones on Hee Haw when I was a teenager. Roy said he'd like to take Tommy behind the barn and step on his fingers!
Tommy Jones went on to play his fingerstyle version of Black Mountain Rag that was just stunning.
As good a guitarist as Roy Clark was, I always thought that he was even better on banjo.
Another sad day for the guitar world.
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Originally Posted by Steven Herron
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And remember, he was at the pinnacle of anyone's dream career. Big smash TV show, a major concert draw, Grammys, top of the charts crossover hits, guest appearances on Johnny Carson and everywhere else. Originally Posted by Cunamara
A massive career, high reviews, glorious press, hangers on, the whole thing.
And the most considerate, gentle, and caring guy ... thoughtfully and intentfully so. He moved as many desks and chairs as I did to open up three college classrooms. Shoved the back end of a couch while I pulled the front down the hall for the comfort of waiting people.
All of this just hours before a full concert for 2,000 people.
Then for the last few minutes before the show, sat there bedazzling us with his playing and that corny but hilarious sense of humor.
Then went out on stage and had more fun than anyone in the place except for Earl Scruggs. He ... was so, so proud of his grandsons playing. Another gentleman and kindly person.
And yea, I always loved his "Yesterday, When I Was Young".
The wife and I were in Nashville last January in the wind-driven snows, to attend the huge Professional Photographers of America conference and receive our Craftsman degrees, each of us. It was at the Gaylord Opryland, so as the Grand Ole Opry's home is next door, we did do a tour.
Including the guide pointing out which dressing room was Roy's anytime he showed up. I mentioned a bit about meeting him, she said he was still like that. People come backstage to meet him, he'd get them coffee himself.
Always wished I could play half as well. Though it still wouldn't be country ...
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I can tell you a little Heritage story about Roy.
I've owned a couple of the Roy Clark model from Heritage. Neither of them had Roy's signature decal on the headstock veneer. One day I asked a couple of the Heritage factory owners why there was no signature. They said some people who ordered the guitar didn't want Roy's name on it. Being a blues and jazz player, I sort of understood that country is a different genre and that Roy didn't portray the heavy depth and angst of the blues.
I heard them talk about how Roy hadn't return three guitars they shipped to him and he didn't intend to. They were not happy about that. They implied that he was cheating them out of the guitars or the money.
I thought about that further and realized that there's another side to that story. If there are two guitars that I personally got used without Roy's signature, and therefore no royalty went to Roy, there must be quite a few more out there Roy helped design but didn't get a cent on.
I have never heard a negative thing about Roy that I believe to be true.
My backstage story was with Bobby Vinton. I was his assistant for a show. He was genuinely a very nice man who played many instruments well. I was 18, and he treated me with respect and showed interest in me, just a stage hand. I will never forget that kindness.
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Great story, Neil. Thanks for sharing that.
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Great stories!
A couple of comments on A Train...
I didn't know Gatemouth had so much jazz AND country in him. And playing without a pick. I guess I should listen to more Gatemouth.
Roy is great as always. I actually wished he had a bit more bite to his tone so it would stand out more.
Who was the 3rd guitarist? Herb Ellis? Also great playing of course.
And that steel player...obviously a wookie musician. LOL.
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Oh btw when I was a kid growing up in the South EVERYONE around me thought of Roy Clark as the pinnacle of guitar playing. You could put on Django or Joe Pass or Segovia, and people would say "that's pretty," but when Roy came on..."That's a REAL guitar player, right there, fo sho..."
I appreciated his wit, but personally I couldn't stand HeeHaw. My grandmother always had it on when we came over for dinner (and Lawrence Welk), and the cornpone was just too much for me. Pretty girls in Daisy Dukes notwithstanding. Along with Charlie Daniels, it set back the Southern struggle for intellectual respect a couple of decades.
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I was told that country guitarists had to play fast. Flattops don't have much sustain, so it took more notes to fill the time with music. The initial electrics also were played fast. Les Paul flooded tunes with notes. Chicken pickin' and related players, including Roy, did the same.
Blues players bent notes and made them last. But distortion and gain pushed the sustain way up and out, leading to the 1960s rock, which was had more 1/8th notes than 1/64ths.
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When I was a kid in Washington DC, Roy Clark was the hot shot guitar player from the neighborhood. I would see him on TV on the Jimmy Dean Show, which was broadcast from DC.
He was quite gifted on banjo, fiddle, and guitar. He could cover many styles, including jazz.
I saw him in concert many times. He will be missed.
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The story of Joe and Roy's album--the last Joe would record sadly...
"Joe was my idol"...wow...
I find it amusing that we spend so much time debating whether Jimi or Jeff Beck can be considered "jazz"--I think there's little doubt Roy knew his inversions inside out and could play within the jazz repertoire with ease.
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The 3rd guitarist on the A Train clip is the great "Nashville Cat" Leon Rhodes, another master:
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