Columnist Joe Delaney: Country legend Clark has enjoyed varied career

Joe Delaney

Friday, April 5, 2002 | 9:48 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at joe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4066.

Multiple-award winning musician, singer and comedian Roy Clark has become an Orleans Showroom regular the past two years ... A master of all the stringed instruments, he also plays trumpet, trombone and piano ... Clark first served notice that he was a main showroom headliner in Las Vegas three decades ago starring in the Landmark's "Country Music USA" series.

For more than 20 years Clark co-hosted the very popular "Hee Haw" country-music comedy series on television with another country legend, Roy Acuff ... Clark led the way to headliner status for other "Country Music USA" regulars such as the Oak Ridge Boys, Mel Tillis, Dottie West and Tammy Wynette, among others.

Born in Meherrin, Va., Clark was 11 when his family moved to Washington, D.C. ... His father was a cotton picker who was also a fine musician, playing dance dates to pay for his education as a computer programmer ... Clark played guitar with his father's group when he was 14 ... He won the National Banjo Championship competition at ages 16 and 17.

In his mid-teens, Clark considered a career as a baseball player but opted instead to become a boxer ... Fighting as a light heavyweight, he won 15 matches in a row before the 16th bout convinced him that music should be his calling ... In 1955, at age 22, he joined country star Jimmy Dean on a Washington TV show and later replaced Dean as host.

Jim Halsey became Clark's personal manager and landed him a spot on "The Beverly Hillbillies" sitcom, where he played a dual role as Cousin Roy and (dressed as a woman) Roy's mother, Big Mama ... It was Halsey who conceived and produced the successful "Country Music USA" series in the early 1970s.

Clark, under Halsey's direction, had a successful 1976 tour of the then-Soviet Union, playing to 21 consecutive sold-out large venues in Riga, Moscow and Leningrad, a historic first for country music stars ... They returned for a second, equally successful Russian tour, in 1988 ... Halsey is now semi-retired and teaching in Oklahoma City.

Among Clark's numerous vocal hits are such varied songs as "Yesterday When I Was Young," and "Thank God and Greyhound, You're Gone" ... His 12-string guitar arrangement of "Malaguena" is an instrumental classic ... In 1983 he won a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance for his recording of "Alabama Jubilee."

A consummate musician, whatever the category, Clark was the first country artist to perform at the prestigious Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival ... You are in for a wonderful musical evening, plus a number of very funny moments at The Orleans this weekend.

Weekend wrap-up

"The Rat Pack Is Back" will be departing Sahara's Congo Room at the end of the month ... The room will have a new decor for the opening of "Bravo," starring Charo, on May 7 ... It should also be noted that Jeff Kutash's "Main Event," a Rat-Pack themed production, is scheduled to open at The Venetian shortly, in addition to a Stevie Wonder tribute.

Jazz fans: Friday's jazz is at Pogo and also on Friday and Saturday at Anthem Country Club with the Bill Trujillo Quartet ... Rocky Gordon plays during Sunday brunch at Gordon Biersch ... The Nevada Jazz Orchestra is in concert at 2 p.m. Sunday (Winchester Center) ... Gene Redden's JazzBrazz Orchestra (Boulder Station) plays one 7:30 p.m. show Sunday; it's free.

Very special: Saturday at 8 p.m. in the University Nevada, Las Vegas' Ham Hall, it's the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and Sunday at 7 p.m. the "Best of the New York Stage" season finale: Michael Feinstein, Ann Harington Callaway, Big Kahuna and the Copa Cat Pack ... Look for a new Feinstein CD, with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, due in stores May 7.

Las Vegas Little Theatre's "Foxfire" is in its second of three weekends ... Louie Anderson closes Sunday (Rio Samba Theatre), with Penn & Teller set to open April 12 ... The Smothers Brothers and Gary Mule Deer start a fortnight's stand at the LV Hilton Tuesday ... Irish singer John MacNally will be in concert, 7 p.m. April 14 (Palace Station).

Please support the Sun Summer Camp Fund ... See you next Thursday.