Hee Haw Co-Host Roy Clark Dead at 85

Roy Clark, acclaimed country musician and co-host of the long-running variety series Hee Haw, has died, Variety reports. Clark passed Thursday from pneumonia complications at his home in Tulsa, Okla. He was 85.

Clark was best known for hosting with Buck Owens the country comedy and music show Hee Haw. He hosted from when it premiered in 1969 to when it ended in 1997, appearing in hundreds of episodes, playing music and acting in comedy sketches and bits like the "Empty Arms Hotel" and "Pickin' and Grinnin.'" Hee Haw brought a rural sensibility to television, though it was popular all over the country.

As a musician, he toured with legends like Hank Williams and Grandpa Jones. He recorded hits like "The Tips Of My Fingers," "If I Had It To Do All Over Again" and "Thank God And Greyhound You're Gone." He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009 and was a longtime member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Clark was born April 15, 1933 in Meherrin, Virginia and grew up in Washington, D.C. He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 61 years, and their four sons.

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