Roy Clark, country guitar virtuoso, ‘Hee Haw’ star, dies at 85

Country Music Hall of Fame member and versatile entertainer Roy Clark died Thursday at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after complications from pneumonia, his publicist said. He was 85.

A fleet-fingered instrumentalist best known for his 24 years as a “Hee Haw” co-host, the affable Clark was one of country music’s most beloved ambassadors.

He brought heart and humor to audiences around the world, guest-hosted “The Tonight Show,” worked with greats like Hank Williams and blues artist Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and inspired countless pickers, including a young Brad Paisley, with his instructional guitar books.

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