"Hee-Haw": Cast And Characters Quiz

Answer: Archie Campbell

The late Archie Campbell popularized a convoluted version of the classic tale of the Three Little Pigs, which began this way:
"ONCE UPON A TIME there lived an old puther mig and her sea thruns..."

Another of his "spoonerism" routines that was a favorite among his fans was his re-telling of the story of "RinderCella".

In addition to his appearances on "Hee-Haw", he was also a member of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, recorded several records, was the host of radio and television shows, was an amateur golfer, and was a painter of art works; owning his own art gallery.

A U.S. Navy veteran of WW2, Archie Campbell was born in 1914, and began his career on radio in Knoxville, Tennessee, the city near which his grave is located. Archie died of a heart attack on August 18, 1987.

Answer: Grandpa

Louis Marshall Jones, better known as "Grandpa Jones", was a staple on the music and variety program "Hee-Haw".
Ole "Grandpa" was just 22 years old when he was referred to by that title for the first time. He was born in 1913, but his reputation for early morning grumpiness during recording sessions caused fellow Kentuckian, Bradly Kincaid, to make that joking reference to him, and Louis liked it so well that he adopted the name on a permanent basis.

Among his more popular songs were, "T For Texas", "Are You From Dixie", "Night Train To Memphis" and "Mountain Dew", along with a song that he had written himself, "Eight More Miles To Louisville".

One of his most enduring skits on "Hee-Haw" involved individuals shouting out, "Hey Grandpa, what's for supper?", whereupon he would typically answer with a mouth-watering menu (Southern-style, of course), including such offerings as "Hot corn on the cob, barbecue spare ribs, biscuits and gravy, collard greens and hot apple pie covered in ice cream and a slice of watermelon." The response was almost invariably, "Yum, yum!"

Grandpa Jones was a neighbor and friend of fellow cast member "Stringbean". Early in the morning of November 11, 1973, he found the bodies of David "Stringbean" Akeman and his wife, who had been murdered by robbers during the night. His later testimony at the trial helped result in a conviction of the robbers-turned-killers.

Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones had multiple strokes following a performance at the Grand Ole Opry in January 1998, and later died on February 19th of that same year.

Answer: Sarah Colley

Sarah Colley had been producing a musical comedy routine in Baileyton, Alabama, when she met a woman whose speech and mannnerisms provided her the idea for the creation of the character Cousin Minnie Pearl.

Sarah was noted for her use of easy-going satire, as she poked fun at southern colloquialisms, lifestyles and attitudes. Being a native southerner herself made the joking and humor go down easier for her fellow southerners. She was a native of Centerville, Tennessee, having been born there in 1912.

On "Hee-Haw", as well as in the many other venues in which she performed during her career, she would often close her act with the following words:
"I love you so much it hurts!"

In 1969, she and her husband Henry R. Cannon (the couple had no children) bought an estate in Nashville next to the Governor's Mansion.

Sarah was destined to suffer from breast cancer and had to undergo treatments that included a double mastectomy at a Nashville medical facility. Later, she became a voluntary spokesperson for that hospital.

In 1991, she suffered a stroke and was placed in a nursing home. On March 4, 1996, Sarah Colley Cannon passed away as the result of another stroke. She is buried in Franklin, Tennessee.

To paraphrase her classic closing signature line:
"Minnie, we love you so much it hurts!"

Answer: Gunilla Hutton

An accomplished actress and singer, Gunilla Hutton was not just another pretty face in her role on "Hee-Haw", but boy, did she ever play her role as Nurse Goodbody well!

According to the "Nashville Telegraph", though, it was her music that brought her fame and led to her appearance on "Hee-Haw". In spite of her "dumb blonde" characterization, she was anything BUT ditzy! She was an accomplished and bright actress and singer.

In its December 21, 1974 issue, the "Telegraph" reported that she was one of the most intelligent people in the field of country music, and according to the same article, "Her outstanding looks could hold an audience alone, but it was her singing that drew applause and cheers..."

Answer: Lulu Roman

Lulu Roman was abandoned as a small child to an orphanage. Tragedy followed her around like a cloud through her childhood years, causing her to be an angry young woman in later years. After several bouts of drug-induced problems, she was arrested and eased off from the show, but she was later allowed to return, after serving her jail sentence.

Her story is not all gloom-and-doom, however. Even though her first child was born addicted to drugs, and she had been informed that he wouldn't live, he was able to overcome that handicap and later served an internship at the church he attended in Seattle.

As she got off drugs, Lulu's career began to blossom, especially after she became a Christian. She has lost more than 200 lbs. since the days of her appearances on "Hee-Haw", and she began singing gospel music in her later years.

Reflecting on the low points of her life, Lulu once noted that she had started using drugs in high school and continued on that path on into college. "I took more LSD than anyone I know. I had a friend that would make it for me," she was quoted as saying.

Lulu also feels that is of vital importance for her to tell her testimonial to others. As she puts it: "If the Lord can work wonders with me, there's hope for everyone."

Source: The Arkansas Leader On-Line

Answer: Roy Clark

When Roy Clark opened his Celebrity Theatre in Branson, Missouri in 1983, he became the very first country music star to have his own featured entertainment center in Branson, thereby paving the way for many other individuals to have their own live music performance venues.

During Roy's tenure on "Hee-Haw", he not only excelled in playing the banjo, guitar, and mandolin; he also played the role of the clerk at the "Empty Arms Hotel".

Once, earlier in his career, he was fired by singer/songwriter Jimmy Dean because of his constant tardiness for rehearsals. Jimmy was quoted as telling him that "you're the most talented person I've ever fired."
(Hmm... maybe that would look good on a resume, if it was re-worded just a bit!)

Roy Clark was born in 1933 in Virginia, but grew up mostly in Staten Island, New York and Washington D.C.

Baseball great, Mickey Mantle had personally arranged for Roy Clark to sing "Yesterday When I Was Young" at his funeral, and Roy obliged the request upon Mantle's death in 1995.

In 2010, Roy agreed to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a Dodger Stadium game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.

Answer: The Culhanes

Junior Samples was well known for being one of the members of the family sketch referred to as "The Culhanes of Cornfield County".
Other members of the skit included Gordie Tapp, Grandpa Jones and Lulu Roman.

When he was first introduced to the show, Junior had been instructed to "act dumb" and he did so with great aplomb. In one particular skit, which is probably his best-remembered "signature" role, he played the part of a used car salesman, reminding his "viewing audience" to call "BR-549" for a great deal on an automobile.

Junior Samples was a native of Cumming, Georgia and was quite intelligent, in spite of being a sixth-grade school dropout and was an avid stock car racer.

He died in 1983 of a heart attack which was possibly aggravated by his extremely overweight condition. On a number of occasions during the years that the program aired his weight neared 400 lbs.

Answer: guitar

One-liners abounded in the "Pickin' and Grinnin'" segment of the show, with intermittent lines of dialogue scattered between the short musical interludes; lines like -
"Hey, I passed by your house yesterday, Roy."
"Boy, I 'preciate that, Buck."

Buck Owens played the guitar on "Hee-Haw". Of course, like so many performers, he used an alias. He was born Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. in August of 1929. His family lived in Sherman, Texas, and had a mule on their farm. Yeah, you guessed it; the mule's name was Buck, and "Junior" liked it so well that he took the name for himself... around the age of three or four!

Buck Owen's music often "bucked" (pun intended!) the trend of popular country music, blending south-of-the-border twangs with a hillbilly honky-tonk sound. Among the fifteen number one hits of Buck Owens and the Buckaroos were such tunes as "Tall Dark Stranger", "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass", "Act Naturally", "Crying Time" and "Made In Japan".

During the years that "Hee-Haw" ran on CBS televison (which was originally a summer replacement for "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"), he and Roy Clark hosted a variety of singing acts, comedy routines and just plain old "corny" humor. In fact, the setting of the show was called Cornfield County.

Buck Owens' last performance was at his Crystal Palace venue in Bakersfield, California in March 2006. While he was at the Crystal Palace, he had complained of not feeling well and had intended to go home. Some of the guests asked him to stay and sing, so he acquiesced. Mere hours after his onstage appearance, he died in his sleep from what was thought to be a heart attack.

Answer: KORN

Donald H. Harron was born in Toronto, Canada in 1924. This writer for a television series, author of books, and television actor graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

The character sketch of Charlie Farquharson was Don's main forte on "Hee-Haw" but he had developed that character originally for the Canadian program, "The Big Revue" in 1952.

This 'broadcast journalist' on "Hee-Haw's" KORN radio would state his opinion on local happenings as well as on world events. His satirical approach, coupled with deliberate misspoken phrases, made for a hilarious (and often corny) monologue. "Hee! Hee! Hee-ee!" was his trademark 'laugh', usually accompanied by a slight wheeze upon delivery of each of the lines.

Answer: Cathy Baker

'Miss HEE-HAW', as she was known in early broadcasts of the show, Cathy Baker was 'discovered' while she worked on the sets as a scenic painter at the Nashville television studios where the program was taped. Her winning smile and cheery disposition were contagious, and she became one of the more popular regulars on the show.

One of her best remembered "props" on the show was the bloodhound who followed her around (very slowly and methodically) as she grinned and joked on camera. The dog seemed to be Cathy's complementary exact opposite, since he was usually content to lounge around and serve as her sidekick. He was a laid-back creature while Cathy always displayed almost boundless energy.

Four different dogs were featured on "Hee-Haw at various times.

At the end of each broadcast, it was with Cathy's bubbly and infectious smile that she delivered her classic closing line addressed to the viewing audience:
"That's all!"