'Beverly Hillbillies' Singer Dies at 93

Yahoo Entertainment - AP Music ^ | December 9, 2004

[bd476]

LOS ANGELES - "Jerry Scoggins, who sang "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" that introduced the comical Clampett clan on "The Beverly Hillbillies," has died. He was 93.

Scoggins, the lead singer of the Cass County Boys, died Tuesday of natural causes at his home in Westlake Village.

In 1962, the country and western singer was working as a stockbroker and singing on weekends when he was asked to record a theme song for the pilot of the television series starring Buddy Ebsen (news).

Bluegrass stars Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs played guitar and banjo on "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" while Scoggins sang the lyrics.

The song and series were instant hits, and the ballad made the national hit parade in 1963.

The series, which ran on CBS from 1962 to 1971, was ranked as TV's No. 1 program in its first two seasons and drew up to 60 million viewers at its peak.

Scoggins was retired when he read in 1993 that 20th Century Fox was planning a movie version of the series. He called the studio and was put through to music supervisor Steve Smith, who told him, "Criminy I didn't know you were still around."

The studio had wanted Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson to sing the theme for the movie, but director Penelope Spheeris held out for Scoggins.

"I wanted to keep as much familiarity in the movie as I could find, and that was a key part: people's familiarity with his voice," she told the Los Angeles Times in 1993.

Scoggins estimated that by the movie he had sung "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" more than 1,000 times since first recording it.

Scoggins was born in Mount Pleasant, Texas, and began singing and playing guitar on Dallas radio in the early 1930s. In 1936 he formed the Cass County Kids with John "Bert" Dodson and Fred Martin.

Gene Autry (news) changed the group's name to the Cass County Boys when he hired them in 1946 for his Melody Ranch radio program. They worked with Autry for 12 years on radio and television, and performed in 17 of his movies.

The group also recorded and performed on TV with Bing Crosby (news) in the early 1950s.

The Cass County Boys were inducted into the Western Music Hall of Fame in 1996. They also received a Golden Boot Award from the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

Scoggins, a widower, is survived by two daughters, Judy Headley of Santa Barbara and Jane Kelly of Westlake Village; five grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter."

[RightWhale]

I promised I would never do this, but I might buy a banjo today. In honor.

[stainlessbanner]

Flatt and Scruggs are my favorite Bluegrass pickers

Those boys can play. One of my favorite BH episodes is when the boys came to town with their uptown girlfriends - the girls wanted to see Hollywood and Flatt and Scruggs just wanted to play music with the Clampets.

Best version of Rocky Top ever!

[Moonman62]

I didn't know the series lasted until the early 70s. I thought it just ran for like 4 or 5 years. Must have been weird for the actors to see the strife and turbulence of the late 60s/early 70s when their show represented the idyllic period of the 50s and early 60s.

All the country shows were top rated when they got canceled in the early 1970's. They weren't reaching the young idiots advertisers desire. I think it was Fred Silverman's brilliant idea. It's no wonder the 1970's were an awful decade.

[weegee]

Jed's Ma was only 6 years older? She lived a tough life!

[weegee]

The Beverly Hillbies was a satirical look at society (since the Clampetts weren't "from there"). There was a surprising amount of continuity in the storylines and Jethro was quick to sign up for whatever the latest fad was (keeping the stories somewhat topical).

[the invisib1e hand]

what, not a word about Lester Flat and Earl Scruggs?

[weegee]

"G rated" but there were some periods (like Granny's "topless" restaurant) that sort of pushed the bounds. Their interpretation was innocent even if the world that they lived in was not.

[weegee]

He's still alive (AND TOURING). Look him up on that that enter-net...

http://www.earlscruggs.com/

[MeekOneGOP]

'Beverly Hillbillies' Singer Dies at 93

Excerpt:

Bluegrass stars Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs played guitar and banjo on "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" while Scoggins sang the lyrics.

The song and series were instant hits, and the ballad made the national hit parade in 1963.

The series, which ran on CBS from 1962 to 1971, was ranked as TV's No. 1 program in its first two seasons and drew up to 60 million viewers at its peak.

[Jerry] Scoggins was retired when he read in 1993 that 20th Century Fox was planning a movie version of the series. He called the studio and was put through to music supervisor Steve Smith, who told him, "Criminy I didn't know you were still around."

The studio had wanted Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson to sing the theme for the movie, but director Penelope Spheeris held out for Scoggins.

"I wanted to keep as much familiarity in the movie as I could find, and that was a key part: people's familiarity with his voice," she told the Los Angeles Times in 1993.

Scoggins estimated that by the movie he had sung "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" more than 1,000 times since first recording it.

Scoggins was born in Mount Pleasant, Texas, and began singing and playing guitar on Dallas radio in the early 1930s. In 1936 he formed the Cass County Kids with John "Bert" Dodson and Fred Martin.

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest or Texas ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[talleyman]

RIP (and pass the possum gravy...)

[MeekOneGOP]

The Cass County Boys

(Courtesy of Hank DeCato)
Above are Jerry Scoggins (left) and Hank DeCato.  Below are Hank with Freddy Martin (left) and Jerry Scoggins (right). Both photos are circa 2000.

(Courtesy of Hank DeCato)

[stainlessbanner]

Looks like ya gotta be in Tennessee or Ireland to see em!

[floriduh voter]

That's too bad. I saw them on the BH the other day surfing onto TV Land channel. It was hilarious that both Flatt and Scruggs married gold diggers on the show. And, I'd say the Beverly Hillbillies lyrics are slightly easier for someone like say, floriduh voter to remember than the Gilligan lyrics. He lived to a ripe old age - you know being laid back does have its health benefits.

[Fiddlstix]

R.I.P
Bump

[weegee]

Well it's not like anyone in the television industry will still put him on the Tonight Show or anything...

[floriduh voter]

Let me tell you of a story bout a man named Jed, a poor mountaineer barely kep his family fed. Then one day he was huntin' for some food, and up through the ground came a bubbling crude, oil that is...black Gold, Texas tea.

Well the next thing you know ol Jed's a millionaire, the kin folk said, Jed get away from there. They said kallyfornee is the place you oughta be, so they loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly.... Hills that is.... swimming pools, movie stars.

Ta Da!

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks! Here is another variation of his theme song:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1224680/posts?page=155#155

To: MeekOneGOP; Slip18; Argh; xsmommy; Gabz; VRWCmember

BALLAD OF DAN RATHER

(Think "Beverly Hillbillies" theme song)

Come and listen to my story 'bout a man named Dan,
The documents were fake and he didn't give a dam*;
He put 'em on the air, an' he thought he'd done the job,
But up from the web come a howlin' mob.

Blogs, that is.
Web logs.
Checkin' facts.

Well, the first thing you know ol' Dan's a-runnin' fast;
Made a false report an' it bit him in the a$$;
He said 'dog-gonnit, I done thought I'd get away!'
But it turned out to be his a-reckonin' day.

Busted, that is.
Red-faced.
Mud in the eye.

Well, now it's time to say goodbye to Dan and all his men;
And they would like to shoot you folks for turnin' them in;
You're all invited back next week to watch the Evening News,
And see which correspondent's picked to fill Dan's empty shoes.

Y'all come back, now, hear?

155 posted on 09/23/2004 4:15:51 PM CDT by TheGrimReaper

---

[TheGrimReaper]

BALLAD OF DAN RATHER

[Calvin Locke]

but I might buy a banjo today

I heard a piece on banjos a year ago. What I remember:

A musician realized he left his car unlocked with a banjo in full view inside. He races down
to lock the car, but it was too late. Someone left another banjo.

And what to you call perfect pitch? When tossing the banjo in to the dumpster, you hit the accordion.

And now I have to go look to see if I have Foggy Mountain Breakdown when I get home.

[FBD]

"The Bel-Arabs" Parody by Guy DiRito

(Based on the ballad of Jed Clampett by Lester Flatt And Earl Skruggs)
This here's a little story 'bout this man Ahmed,
A not so poor emir, had him quite an oil spread.
Then one day they were shootin' up Kirkuk,
Was a mis-guided round, now his house is ker-put.

Broiled that is, Mang-old, History.

Not the first thing to go, 'Med lost some other lair,
Kinfolk said 'Med let's move to Belair.
Said war's too stormy, there's a better place it seems,
So they loaded up their butts movin' to that Belair scene.

Thrilled, they is,
Warrin' fools, Mudejars.

The Bel-Arabs!

So if you're in Belair, say hey, to 'Med at his new scene,
Tell him that we're sorry and then blame the Fedayeen.
Our hope you're likin' very much your new locality,
We hope they'll be no shelling on your current property.

Fedayeen that is.
Infidels, Check the Jews out.
This ain't Iraq now, Emir.