Hee Haw - Musical Legacy

Musical Legacy

The show's additional legacy—probably its main one to most of the Southern and rural viewers in particular—was the hundreds of performances of country music, bluegrass, gospel music, and other traditional styles, that were featured on it during its run. During the 1970s and early 1980s, this show was probably the best-known showcase for popular country music on commercial television, aside from other half-hour performer-hosted syndicated shows (most notably The Porter Wagoner Show, which is perhaps the only other weekly country music show of this era to approach Hee Haw's longevity.) produced by packagers like Nashville's Show Biz, Inc.

Hee Haw featured at least two, and sometimes three or four, guest stars each week. While most of the guest stars were country artists, a wide range of celebrities were featured. Such celebrities included, among others: Alabama, Atlanta, Buddy Alan, Jed Allan, Rex Allen, Paul Anka, Bill Anderson, John Anderson, Lynn Anderson, Garner Ted Armstrong, Eddy Arnold, Chet Atkins, Gene Autry, Hoyt Axton, Razzy Bailey, Butch Baker, Moe Bandy, Ava Barber, Billy Barty, Molly Bee, Johnny Bench, Byron Berline, Amanda Blake, Suzy Bogguss, Randy Boone, actor Ernest Borgnine, former pro football player and current FOX NFL Sunday co-host Terry Bradshaw, comedian Foster Brooks, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, the Bellamy Brothers, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Family Brown, Jim Ed Brown, The Buckaroos (Buck Owens' band), Jethro Burns, comedianne Ruth Buzzi, West Virginia senator Robert Byrd, Glen Campbell, Eric Carmen, Billy Carter, June Carter, Lionel Cartwright, Johnny Cash, Bill Caswell, Ray Charles, Don Cherry, comedian Jerry Clower, Jessi Colter, John Conlee, David L Cook, Helen Cornelius, Beverly Cotten-Dillard, Floyd Cramer, Rob Crosby, Scatman Crothers, Vic Damone, Charlie Daniels, Dave & Sugar, Gail Davies, Danny Davis, singer/actor Sammy Davis, Jr., pro baseball player and commentator Dizzy Dean, Jimmy Dean, Diamond Rio, Dillard & Clark, Al Downing, Connie Eaton, Dale Evans, Donna Fargo, pool player Minnesota Fats, Freddy Fender, Bela Fleck, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Eugene Fodor, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Janie Fricke, David Frizzell, Larry Gatlin, Crystal Gayle, Will Geer, Don Gibson, TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford, Vince Gill, Mickey Gilley, Johnny Gimble, The Glaser Brothers, George Gobel, Southern gospel quartet Gold City, Bobby Goldsboro, Billy Grammer, Amy Grant, Lee Greenwood, Lewis Grizzard, Oscar the Grouch, Merle Haggard, Gus Hardin, Phil Harris, Freddie Hart, John Hartford, Tom T. Hall, Dick Haynes, Roy Head, John Hiatt, Becky Hobbs, David Holt, David Huddleston, Tommy Hunter, Southern gospel group The Inspirations, Alan Jackson, Wanda Jackson, Jana Jae, Sonny James, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, The Judds, Kieran Kane, Stan Kann, The Kendalls, Hal Ketchum, Merle Kilgore, Alan King, Alison Krauss, k.d. lang, pro baseball manager Tommy Lasorda, Brenda Lee, Dickey Lee, Johnny Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis, Lloyd Lindroth, LaWanda Lindsey, Kenny Lovelace, Lyle Lovett, Loretta Lynn, Larry Mahan, Barbara Mandrell, Louise Mandrell, Mickey Mantle, Kathy Mattea, C. W. McCall, Charly McClain, Mel McDaniel, Pake McEntire, Reba McEntire, The McGuire Sisters, TV personality Ed McMahon, actress Ethel Merman, Jody Miller, Roger Miller, the Million Dollar Band, Mission Mountain Wood Band, Ronnie Milsap, Bill Monroe, Lorrie Morgan, Gary Morris, comedian Gary Mule Deer, pro baseball player Stan Musial, Willie Nelson, actor Leslie Nielsen, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Mark O'Connor, Marie Osmond, Patti Page, Dolly Parton, Stella Parton, Johnny Paycheck, Carl Perkins, TV personality Regis Philbin, Vernon Presley (Elvis' father), Ray Price, Charley Pride, Ronnie Prophet, Eddie Rabbitt, Boots Randolph, Wayne Raney, Eddy Raven, Susan Raye, Shotgun Red, Jerry Reed, Charlie Rich, Riders in the Sky, Jeannie C. Riley, John Ritter (actor and son of Tex Ritter) Marty Robbins, TV evangelist Oral Roberts, Dale Robertson, Johnny Rodriguez, Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers, Roy Rogers, John Schneider, TV personality Willard Scott, Doc Severinson, Victoria Shaw, Jean Shepard, T. G. Sheppard, actor Sonny Shroyer, Ricky Skaggs, Cal Smith, Connie Smith, Margo Smith, Sons of the Pioneers, Billie Jo Spears, Jim Stafford, Joe Stampley, Kenny Starr, The Statler Brothers, Keith Stegall, Skip Stephenson, Ray Stevens, George Strait, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Sylvia, Dub Taylor, Les Taylor, comedian Rip Taylor, B.J. Thomas, Hank Thompson, Sue Thompson, Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, Merle Travis, Randy Travis, Buck Trent, Travis Tritt, Ernest Tubb, Tanya Tucker, Mary Lou Turner, Conway Twitty, Donna Ulisse, Bobby Vinton, Steve Wariner, former NASCAR race car driver and current NASCAR commentator Darrel Waltrip, Gene Watson, actor Dennis Weaver, Kitty Wells, Dottie West, Shelly West, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White, The Whites, Boxcar Willie, Don Williams, Paul Williams, Hank Williams, Jr., Sheb Wooley, Tammy Wynette, Faron Young, and Henny Youngman, along with several forgotten performers who were never in the music business long enough to succeed. Also, several clogging groups frequently performed on the show, and occasionally the show featured child singers who would perform top country songs of the day.

In addition to hosts Buck Owens and Roy Clark, who would perform at least one song each week, other cast members—such as Gunilla Hutton and Misty Rowe—would occasionally perform a song on the show; and the show would almost always open with a song performed by the entire cast.

Elvis Presley was a fan of Hee Haw and wanted to appear as a guest on the program in the 1970s, but his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, would not allow him to do so. A similar situation occurred when Elvis' friend Johnny Cash asked Presley to appear on his show.

Sheb Wooley, one of the original cast members, wrote the show's theme song. After filming the initial 13 episodes, other professional demands caused him to leave the show, but he returned from time to time as a guest.

Loretta Lynn was the first guest star of Hee Haw and made more guest appearances than any other artist. She also co-hosted the show more than any other guest co-host and therefore appears on more of the DVD releases for retail sale than any other guest star.

From 1990-1992, country superstar Garth Brooks appeared on the show four times. In 1992, producer Sam Lovullo tried unsuccessfully to contact Brooks because he wanted him for the final show. Brooks surprised Lovullo by showing up last minute, ready to don his overalls and perform for the final episode.