If you’re a Generation X-er, you’ll know that Roy Clark was something of a legend throughout his musical and television heyday.
The American singer and musician was best known for his role as a host on the country variety show Hee Haw, and was a hugely influential figure in the world of country music. There are so many examples that showcase Roy’s broad range of talents, but one of our favorites is his guitar performance of “12th Street Rag” live on The Jimmy Dean Show.
The video may date back to 1963, but there’s nothing outdated about Roy’s performance.
In the 1960s, country was finally becoming mainstream, and Roy successfully managed to countrify yet another genre of music—this one from the ragtime era. Clark certainly astounded his audience with his impressive guitar finger-picking. His fingers moved so quickly across the neck of the guitar that at times it seemed impossible that he could keep up with himself. But he did—and even with a few dropped notes, the resulting sound is fantastic!
“Twelfth Street Rag” is a ragtime musical composition that was a big hit in the ragtime era, back in the early 1900s.
The song was released in 1914 by Euday L. Bowman, and was one of the bestselling tunes of the time. Although the original melody is worth a listen, we’re completely taken to Clark’s live version, which puts a funkier, livelier spin on the hit. Clark’s comical facial expressions, which he was said to pull to combat stage fright, certainly add to the amusement!
So, who was Roy Clark?
If you’re unfamiliar with the multi-talented country legend, he was a guitarist, banjo player, and fiddler who dabbled in making music, performing live and hosting TV shows. He certainly knew how to keep busy.
But Clark wasn’t just a popular country singer—he had also mastered the classical guitar, Latin, bluegrass and pop as well. He had several hit songs as a pop vocalist, including “Yesterday, When I Was Young” and “Thank God and Greyhound.”
The version of “Twelfth Street Rag” performed by Roy was actually recorded for the Capitol label by Roy himself in 1961, but was never released as a single.
There are said to be more than 100 versions of the song, but Roy’s is our personal favourite. In 2009, Roy reached his musical peak when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. What an honor! He also wrote and published his own autobiography, titled My Life in Spite of Myself, in 1994.
Sadly for all country music fans, Roy passed away in November 15, 2018.
Still, thanks to videos like this one, his impressive guitar skills and comical personality will live on for years to come. Even while Clark became famous for his lightning-fast fingers, we don’t know how he manages to pull off such a difficult performance from start to finish with no retakes, all in front of a live audience.
The fact that he adds a few tap-dancing moves into the mix, leaving the audience chortling with laughter, only adds to the performance. We can’t see the audience, but we imagine he received a standing ovation for his efforts.
Though YouTube is great for many things, rediscovering incredible talent like Clark’s is just another one of its perks.
Watch the video yourself and prepare for some eyebrow-raising amazement!
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