Although the two of them were dueling with one another, I’d say the audience who got to witness this mind-blowing performance were the real winners.
Roy Clark and Buck Trent surprise and delight the audience with a rip-roaring banjo classic from that all-time favorite show of yesteryear, Hee-Haw!
I remember being a little kid, sitting cross-legged on the shag carpet of my grandparents living room floor…
Every Saturday night we would tune in to Hee-Haw to find out from Grandpa Jones “What’s for Supper?”, listen to Miss Minnie Pearl’s homespun wisdom, and watch the smokin’ hot pickin’ and grinnin’ from Roy Clark and some of the most talented players in the world of country and bluegrass music.
https://youtu.be/Xv13g44ROaw
Watching this takes me back to those times and fills my heart with warm memories, but we’re just getting started folks…
Roy Clark plays ‘Dueling Banjos’ on Hee-Haw
This next clip will take you back like a time machine. Roy Clark and Buck Trent deliver the goods. This is some of the best banjo-playing there ever was.
Throughout his 66-year career, Roy Clark earned a reputation as one of the most talented and respected banjo players in the world. As the host of the favorite television show Hee Haw from 1969-1992, millions of people have witnessed Clark’s astonishing talent.
Clark also plays the classical guitar and many other instruments, but the banjo remains the one he is recognized for. Due to his skill as a musician, Clark has been credited with helping to influence multiple generations of bluegrass and country music artists.
https://youtu.be/A8rUZfQJjPY
During an unforgettable moment on Hee Haw, Clark once faced off against his frequent collaborator and fellow banjo player, Buck Trent, for an epic battle playing “Dueling Banjos.” The composition was originally composed by Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith in 1955.
At the beginning of their performance, Clark and Trent started off taking turns playing the same short patterns. As the song progressed, the models grew longer, and eventually, Clark and Trent ended up playing their own, unique solos.
Toward the end, the two talented pickers finally came together to play at the same time, creating an energized, toe-tapping sound in the process. Although the two of them were dueling with one another, I’d say the audience who got to witness this mind-blowing performance were the real winners!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B3WQqZUiSc
“I’m surprised the smoke alarms didn’t just go off because those strings were on fire!” declared one excited viewer.
Another fan expressed a sentiment I think we can all agree on, “It just doesn’t get much better than that. That’s some real pickers and grinners right there. Legendary”.
Does anyone else miss the days when families would gather in one room, around the one TV that your family owned and enjoyed a good clean program together?
Today it seems like we all retreat to our own spaces with our separate devices and watching a show is no longer a family affair.
Join me on one last stroll down memory lane, or perhaps, more appropriately, a stroll down a country dirt.
Check out this toe-tapping good time footage from Hee Haw and leave a comment below. I’d love to hear about your Hee Haw memories.
If Roy Clark’s fine banjo-playing got your gumption up, then share this with a friend because EVERYBODY’S got to love old Roy and the Hee-Haw gang.
