Roy Linwood Clark April 15, 1933 November 15, 2018

Roy Linwood Clark (April 15, 1933 – November 15, 2018) was an American singer and musician. He is best known for having hosted Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1997. Roy Clark was an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre.

During the 1970s, Clark frequently guest-hosted for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and enjoyed a 30-million viewership for Hee Haw. Clark was highly regarded and renowned as a guitarist and banjo player, and was also skilled on classical guitar and several other instruments. Although he had hit songs as a pop vocalist (e.g., “Yesterday, When I Was Young” and “Thank God and Greyhound”), his instrumental skill had an enormous effect on generations of bluegrass and country musicians. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1987 and, in 2009, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.