Country Stars Mourn Loss Of A Legend
On Thursday (November 15), the country music community was in a state of grief as they mourned the loss of one of their most beloved figures. That person was none other than singer, musician, and Hee Haw host Roy Clark. He was 85 years old.
Clark passed away at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma due to complications from pneumonia. His publicist released a statement about his death, which was picked up by The Tennessean.
Many country stars took to social media to express their sorrow over Clark’s passing. One of the most powerful tributes came from Brad Paisley, who considered Clark to be one of his idols and dearest friends.
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Based on the outpouring of emotions from the country music community following Clark’s death, it’s clear to see how much he meant to the world.
Memorial Details Revealed
Those who loved Clark will get the chance to celebrate his life and legacy multiple times over the next few days. According to Billboard, on Tuesday (November 18), a private memorial will be held for Clark’s friends, family, and fellow artists to gather in his memory.
The public will get the chance to attend a separate service the following day (November 19). The ceremony will take place at Rhema Bible Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and will begin at 11:00 AM.
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Those who can not attend in person will be able to watch the ceremony live on rhema.org or on the Rhema Bible Curch’s Facebook page.
In lieu of flowers, Clark’s family has asked for donations to be made in his honor to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Clark was a longtime supporter of St. Jude’s, and headlined a golf tournament for the hospital for many years.
A request from #RoyClark’s family:
“In lieu of flowers, the family requests that all contributions be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. For several years, Clark headlined a golf tournament for St. Jude’s, where a floor was named in his honor.” pic.twitter.com/5Kk7jWSR6f— Dave Davis (@DaveDavisKOTV) November 19, 2018
One Of His Final Performances
Clark’s loss is one felt throughout country music and the music industry as a whole. There is no doubt that he was a pioneer of his time, and he helped inspire many of today’s stars.
In one of his final performances, Clark got the chance to celebrate the legacy he helped establish by singing at the 2016 CMA Awards. Clark was seated next to Paisley with his famous banjo in hand.
Together, the two performed a snippet of the late Buck Owens‘ “I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail.” It meant the world hearing this performance from Clark, since he and Owens co-hosted Hee Haw together.
Enjoy that special moment starting around the 1:32 mark in the video below.
Like Owens who left this world before him, Clark will always be remembered for the contributions he made to country music. May he rest in peace.