Roy Clark Biography

Roy Clark was the highest paid country music star in the U.S. in the early 1970s, a multi-instrumentalist with the hit song “Yesterday When I Was Young” and one of the hosts of TV’s Hee Haw, a comedy and music staple for nearly 25 years.

A musical prodigy and natural performer, Clark began playing as a youngster and won the National Banjo Championship twice as a teenager, in 1947 and 1948.

During the course of his career he had hit records and was a popular co-host (with Buck Owens) on Hee Haw, thanks largely to his sense of fun. Sometimes his comedy threatened to overshadow his musical talent, but Clark was often in the spotlight for instrumental performances, either on guitar, banjo or mandolin.

An advocate for young guitar players, Clark popularized playing through a series of educational books and videos. He won many awards from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, and he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009.