HammondCast: Concert in Suzuki Musical Instruments Headquarters Hamamatsu-shi #浜松市

#WATCH CONCERT VIDEO HERE: Concert in Suzuki Musical Instruments Headquarters Hamamatsu-shi #浜松市 Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/JonHammondSuzukiWorldHeadquartersInHouseConcertJonHammondPt3of3 Views 1,311 #1311 Youtube https://youtu.be/1Uok7LV6OZk Facebook video https://www.facebook.com/hammondcast/videos/10153664601472102/ Concert in Suzuki Musical Instruments Headquarters Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka, Japan #浜松市 #TBT First time together Koei Tanaka Chromatic Suzuki Harmonica - Official Facebook Page Master and Jon Hammond at Digital New B3 Organ, special concert for Manji Suzuki President Founder of Suzuki Musical Instruments makers of Hammond Organs and Leslie Speakers products and everybody in the company at end of work day in special Suzuki Hall, soulful performance

Hamamatsu (浜松市 Hamamatsu-shi?, lit. "Coast Pine Tree") is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamamatsu As of September 1, 2015, the city had an estimated population of 789,407, making it the prefecture's largest city and a population density of 507 persons per km2. The total area was 1,558.06 km2 (601.57 sq mi). On July 1, 2005, Hamamatsu absorbed the cities of Tenryū and Hamakita, the town of Haruno (from Shūchi District), the towns of Hosoe, Inasa and Mikkabi (all from Inasa District), the towns of Misakubo and Sakuma, the village of Tatsuyama (all from Iwata District), and the towns of Maisaka and Yūtō (both from Hamana District) to become the current and expanded city of Hamamatsu. It became a city designated by government ordinance on April 1, 2007 - http://www.HammondCast.com Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/JazzFunkTributeToCannonballAdderlyWithNDRHornsJonHammondBand Full High Definition #HighDef #Youtube https://youtu.be/ihMErpJ_J9A Jazz Funk Tribute to Cannonball Adderley and Lutz Büchner NDR Horns Jon Hammond Band - Auster Jazz Series concert Hamburg Eimsbüttel. Funky Heinz Lichius drums, Michael Leuschner trumpet, Lutz Büchner tenor, Ernst-Friedrich Fiete Felsch alto, Joe Berger guitar, Jon Hammond organ bass - special thanks Nicolai Ditsch for operating the camera, this concert was filmed in High Definition - Frank Blume, Torsten Wendt - Knut Benzner NDR Redaktion - Musik Rotthoff support - Gideon Schier / Baltic Soul Weekender http://www.HammondCast.com in Auster Bar #LutzBüchner #NDRJazz #MichaelLeuschner Rest In Peace Lutz Büchner 5. August 1968 in Bremen; † 11. März 2016 in Tokio, Japan deutscher Jazzsaxophonist

Producer Jon Hammond Audio/Visual sound, color Language English #Deutsch : Büchner studierte an der Musikhochschule Hamburg bei Herb Geller und arbeitete dann mit dem Posaunisten Ed Kröger. Seit 1994 war er Mitglied der NDR Bigband. Zwischen 1996 und 1998 trat er in Hamburg regelmäßig mit Lucas Lindholm, Heinz Lichius und Buggy Braune und Gästen wie Wolfgang Schlüter und Gene Jackson auf. Außerdem arbeitete er mit Jörg Achim Kellers Small Bigband und mit Jürgen Attigs Low X, mit der Band von Nils Gessinger. Von 2000 bis 2004 war Büchner Mitglied der Band von Alex Riel, mit der er das Album live at Jive (mit Carsten Dahl und Jesper Lundgaard) einspielte, Tourneen durch Dänemark, Norwegen und Vietnam unternahm und im Rolf-Liebermann-Studio des NDR auftrat. Seit 2001 war er Mitglied in der Band von Joe Gallardo, mit der er bei verschiedenen Festivals auftrat und das Album A Latin Shade of Blue aufnahm. Seit 2011 gehörte er zu Addi Münsters Old Merrytale Jazzband Mit dem eigenen Quartett (mit Sandra Hempel, Heinz Lichius und Pepe Berns) trat Büchner 2005 bei den 2. Hamburger Jazztagen in der Kampnagel-Fabrik auf. Im selben Jahr entstand mit dem Trio Konnex (mit Björn Lücker und Philipp Steen) das gleichnamige Album, das im Folgejahr erschien. 2006 erschien Büchners Album Ring (mit Sandra Hempel, Danny Gottlieb, Vladislav Sendecki, Paul Imm und Jürgen Attig). Mit der NDR Bigband trat Büchner bei Festivals in London, Chicago, Paris, New York und Peking auf und nahm an Tourneen durch Südamerika, Spanien, Portugal und Südafrika teil. Während einer Japan-Tournee der NDR-Bigband starb er in Tokio im Alter von 47 Jahren an einem Herzinfarkt. Er hinterlässt seine Frau und einen Sohn.[1] Joachim Knuth, Programmdirektor Hörfunk beim NDR, schrieb zum Tod Büchners: „Die Nachricht vom Tod Lutz Büchners macht mich sehr betroffen. Ich habe ihn als einen liebenswürdigen Menschen erlebt, der leidenschaftlich mit und für Musik lebte. Lutz Büchner hatte den Jazz im Blut. Er liebte den spielerischen Umgang mit der Musik, die Improvisation. Der Tod dieses beeindruckenden Saxofonisten ist für die NDR Bigband, für den NDR, ein großer Verlust.“ – Joachim Knuth: NDR-Online.de; 12. März 2016[1] Die offizielle Trauerfeier fand am 5. April 2016 in Hamburg statt, zu der auch Büchners musikalischer Begleiter Al Jarreau aus den USA angereist war. Während des Trauerzuges wurden Lieder im Stil einer Jazz-Beerdigung aus Jarreaus Heimatstadt New Orleans gespielt. Mourning Lutz Büchner - Jon Hammond : https://www.facebook.com/notes/jon-hammond/mourning-lutz-büchner/10156648708165287

Folks, I am really in shock from hearing news of the unexpected and very sad death of my good friend Lutz Büchner! I really didn’t want to say it on the internet after receiving the horrible news in communications with our mutual good friend and fellow musician / bandmate Heinz Lichius. This is so hard to get my head around and accept it but I know it’s true that Lutz suffered a fatal heart attack while on tour in Tokyo Japan with his beloved NDR-bigband with Peter Erskine on the band - I can see Lutz’ smile and hear his voice and music in my mind like it was yesterday - and we spoke and played together so many times. So now I see the news releases are already out on the news FEEDS from the NDR, Hamburger Abendblatt etc. and a few too-early mentions on the Facebook, so I know it’s time to write a few words for those of you who might not know of Lutz Büchner, as follows: As Joe Gallardo the great trombonist and long-time colleague of Lutz’ said in email to me last night: “As you well know, Lutz was first of all a great human being and secondly, he was a masterful player. Lutz was my brother. We will all miss him.” - The very first time I met Lutz was in 1995 on a rainy night in Hamburg Eimsbüttel at the Thursday night weekly jazz session in Jazzclub Birdland - I had heard him the week before and pushed my Hammond organ on the wheels through the rain to the club and got there real early, Hr. Reichert the owner opened up the club and I was telling Mr. Reichert I came the week before but didn’t get to play so “early bird gets the worm...and maybe I’ll get to play with Lutz Büchner!” - well we did it and by good luck my friend Joris Dudli the great drummer was there - it was magic from the first hit. That’s where it started, I was living in Hamburg to play music and write tunes - like so many musicians following in the footsteps of The Beatles, by invitation of my sponsor Knut Benzner journalist moderator on the NDR. From then on together with main man Heinz Lichius drums who I had met just before when Heinz came over to meet me one afternoon - Heinz had recommended to check out Lutz, one of the finest rising musicians on the Hamburg scene. We had a lot of great times together on the bandstand and off from that time on - we played in Hamburg and his hometown of Bremen - turned out to be that Lutz was a real life jazz angel who saved my life at least twice, one time involving bringing me to the hospital / krankenhaus and translating to me what they were about to do to me - we escaped out the side door and the doctor came to our gig that night! I met Lutz’ Mom and Dad beautiful people when they came to hear us play in Bremen at Studio club April 7, 1998 - and most recently our last gigs together with my favorite musicians Michael Leuschner, (Heinz Lichius of course) “Fiete” Ernst-Friedrich Fiete Felsch NDR horn section brothers along with Joe Berger guitar, probably best gig of my life - Lutz was so happy to have found his love with his wife Bettina and he was always crazy about his son Asmus and his step daughters by Bettina, the happiest I have ever seen him, he glowed in the dark he had that much joy! -- Back in 2005 I had an idea, I said to my long-time girlfriend Jennifer: Lutz is one of the greatest saxophonists I ever heard, I want to feature him on a CD release, he could be making a great record every day! I couldn’t believe that he didn’t have any feature albums out at that point - so I discussed it with Knut Benzner and we all co-produced a recording session for this purpose in the famous Studio 1 at NDR, the NDR SESSIONS Projekt was born, with the addition of “Joe G” / Joe Gallardo on trombone and Heinz Lichius and myself, Rudolf Grosser at the controls big SSL console, we started playing in the morning and I played through the magic bass amp belonging to Lucas Lindholm - the boys took one long coffee break and other than that we recorded tunes all day long - I am so grateful that I’ll always have this recording date together with Lutz, of course later on Lutz came out with more records - but this one for me is my special keepsake that went down with the blessings of NDR with the help of Knut Benzner and Axel Dürr. So many stories I can tell you, but most importantly everybody loved Lutz, I know there are a lot of tears flowing now around Hamburg and Bremen, my heart goes out to Lutz’ Family, Friends and Musicians music brothers and sisters! The 2nd to the last time we played together, I hadn’t seen Lutz for a while and he told me about a real miracle of survival when he was driving on the autobahn with Bettina and the kinder all his happy Family in the car, I think there was ice on the road - a car slammed in to the back of his car demolishing the car, but Lutz’ horns were in the trunk - they all got crushed but it saved his Family! They were all shaken up but OK - the lucky star was shining over them, and even though Lutz is not with us physically anymore, his lucky star will always be shining - he was competely dedicated to the NDR-bigband family of musicians and his own Family - always a huge inspiration to me as a person and master musician, rest in peace my very special good friend Lutz Büchner - my deepest and most sincere condolences go out to Lutz’ Mom and Dad and Bettina and his son Asmus and step children by Bettina - all the folks who know and love Lutz, sincerely, Jon Hammond

L to R Michael Leuschner, Heinz Lichius, Lutz Büchner, Jon Hammond, 'Fiete' Ernst-Friedrich Fiete Felsch

Regina Niteclub L to R (Barry Finnerty's guitar neck), Lutz Büchner tenor, Jon Hammond organ on Grosse Freiheit

Newessbar Hamburg Altona L to R Lutz Büchner, Heinz Lichius, Joe Berger, Jon Hammond, Olaf Gödecke

Foto by Gunther Zint in INDRA - L to R Joe Berger, Heinz Lichius, Lutz Büchner, Jon Hammond Report / Obituary from Stefan Gerdes NDR: https://www.ndr.de/orchester_chor/bigband/band/Trauer-um-Lutz-Buechner,buechner146.html - Stand: 12.03.2016 15:00 Uhr - Lesezeit: ca.4 Min. Trauer um Lutz Büchner “Der Saxofonist Lutz Büchner ist am 11. März während einer Japan-Tour der NDR Bigband im Alter von 47 Jahren an den Folgen eines Herzinfarkts verstorben. Es war ein großes Glück für die NDR Bigband, den Menschen und Musiker Lutz Büchner seit 22 Jahren in ihren Reihen zu haben. Er war ein grandioser, ein wahrhaft bedeutender Saxofonist mit einer unverkennbaren, einzigartigen Spielweise, die selbst dem ältesten und schon oft gehörten Jazzstandard immer wieder neue Seiten abgewinnen konnte. Vor allem aber brachte er auch seine Persönlichkeit in die Band ein: seinen Humor, sein ausgeglichenes Temperament und sein großes Interesse an allen Dingen des Lebens, das weit über die Musik hinaus reichte. Lutz Büchner war ein echter Teamplayer, vor und hinter den Kulissen. Knuth: "Er lebte leidenschaftlich für und mit Musik" Joachim Knuth, NDR Programmdirektor Hörfunk: "Die Nachricht vom Tod Lutz Büchners macht mich sehr betroffen. Ich habe ihn als einen liebenswürdigen Menschen erlebt, der leidenschaftlich mit und für Musik lebte. Lutz Büchner hatte den Jazz im Blut. Er liebte den spielerischen Umgang mit der Musik, die Improvisation. Der Tod dieses beeindruckenden Saxofonisten ist für die NDR Bigband, für den NDR, ein großer Verlust. Meine Gedanken sind in diesen Stunden bei der Familie und den Freunden Lutz Büchners." Programmhinweis In Erinnerung an Lutz Büchner stellen wir in der Sendung am 20. März ab 22.05 Uhr einige seiner schönesten Aufnahmen mit der NDR Bigband vor. -- Fasziniert von Miles Davis Lutz Büchner wurde am 5. August 1968 in Bremen geboren. Er interessierte sich schon früh für Musik, bekam klassischen Klarinettenunterricht und entdeckte als Teenager nach einem Konzertbesuch den Jazz. Als er den Trompeter Miles Davis hörte, faszinierte ihn die Möglichkeit, sich auch jenseits der geschrieben Noten auf eine ganz persönliche Weise ausdrücken zu können. Dieser improvisierten, sich immer neu erfindenden Musik wollte er sich widmen. Lutz Büchner kam nach Hamburg und studierte Saxofon bei Herb Geller, dem damals bekanntesten Solisten der NDR Bigband. Schon bald spielte er dort im Saxofonsatz - zunächst als Gast, seit 1994 als festes Mitglied. In den Mittelpunkt zog es ihn, den eher besonnen Menschen, dabei nicht so sehr. Aber wenn das Scheinwerferlicht auf ihn zeigte und er zum Solo ansetzte, dann entwickelte sein Spiel eine ganz besondere Wirkung: Mit geschlossenen Augen stand er da, die Töne flossen ebenso überraschend wie logisch aus seinem Instrument, sein ganzer Körper schien sich dabei in Musik zu verwandeln. In seinem Spiel steckte besondere Tiefe Viele Gäste der NDR Bigband haben ihn und sein Spiel so erlebt und geschätzt: Jazzgrößen wie Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin, João Bosco, Omar Sosa oder Abdullah Ibrahim genossen es, wenn Lutz Büchner neben ihnen spielte. Der Amerikaner Dale Wilson widmete ihm und seinem Saxofon-Kollegen Fiete Felsch eine ganze Big-Band-Suite, und die Komponistin Maria Schneider wollte ihn nach einem Besuch bei der NDR Bigband am liebsten gleich nach New York mitnehmen. Es waren nicht nur seine technischen Fertigkeiten und seine nahezu grenzenlosen Ausdrucksmöglichkeiten, mit denen Lutz Büchner so begeisterte. In seinem Spiel steckte eine besondere Tiefe. "Es ist sein Sound", sagte Maria Schneider einmal, "Lutz berührt mich." Solistische Höhenflüge und zarte Lyrik In der Improvisation spiegelt sich ja immer der ganze Mensch. So konnte Lutz Büchner auf dem Tenorsaxofon unendlich packend, mitreißend und kraftvoll spielen. Unvergessen ist sein solistischer Höhenflug in der Duke-Ellington-Hommage "Diminuendo, crescendo and crescendissimo in blue", in der er minutenlang ein loderndes Feuer immer neu entfachte, bis die Zuschauer bei einem Auftritt der NDR Bigband in New York am Schluss buchstäblich aus den Sitzen gerissen wurden. Seine andere, lyrische Seite war besonders stark auf der Klarinette zu hören, auf der er zu den außergewöhnlichsten Stimmen des modernen Jazz zählte, vielleicht sogar weltweit. Intim und zart, wie gehaucht schwebten die Töne in die Luft, jeder von ihnen hatte Bedeutung. Nicht nur in der NDR Bigband, auch in eigenen Formationen waren sein ausgeprägtes Spiel und seine ausgefeilten Kompositionen zu hören. Mit seinem Quartett (mit Sandra Hempel, Heinz Lichius und Pepe Berns) trat Lutz Büchner 2005 bei den 2. Hamburger Jazztagen in der Kampnagel-Fabrik auf. Im selben Jahr entstand mit dem Trio Connex (mit Björn Lücker und Philipp Steen) ein gleichnamiges Album, und 2006 erschien seine vielbeachtete, von der Kritik hochgelobte CD "Ring". "Mein Ziel ist es", hat Lutz Büchner einmal gesagt, "ganz im Moment zu spielen." Wir verdanken ihm viele unvergessliche Momente. Mit ihm verlieren wir einen lieben Menschen, einen großen Künstler und einen wunderbaren Kollegen. Stefan Gerdes Redaktion NDR Bigband/Jazzredaktion Google Translation of Stefan Gerdes’ obituary of Lutz Büchner: Trauer um Lutz Büchner -- The saxophonist Lutz Büchner died on March 11 during a Japan tour the NDR Bigband at the age of 47 years to a heart attack. It was a great happiness for the NDR Bigband, to have the man and musician Lutz Büchner for 22 years in its ranks. He was a magnificent, truly significant saxophonist with an unmistakable, unique play that even the oldest and often included jazz standard could abgewinnen new pages repeatedly. Above all, he also expressed his personality in the band a: his humor, his even temperament and his great interest in all things in life, which extended far beyond the music. Lutz Büchner was a real team player, before and behind the scenes. Knuth: "He lived passionately and with music" Joachim Knuth, NDR program director Radio: "The news of the death Lutz Büchner makes me very concerned I have experienced him as an amiable man who lived passionately and music Lutz Büchner had the Jazz in the blood He loved the playful use of... the music, the improvisation. the death of this impressive saxophonist for the NDR Bigband, for NDR, a great loss. My thoughts are at this time with the family and friends Lutz Büchner. " program Note Daughter Lutz Büchner we in the mission on March 20, from 22:05 some of his most beautiful recordings with the NDR Bigband ago. Fascinated by Miles Davis Lutz Büchner was born on August 5, 1968 in Bremen. He took an early interest in music, got classical clarinet lessons and discovered as a teenager after a concert jazz. When he heard the trumpeter Miles Davis, he was fascinated by the opportunity to express themselves beyond the written notes on a very personal way. he wanted to devote himself to this improvised, always reinventing music. Lutz Büchner came to Hamburg and studied saxophone with Herb Geller, the then famous soloists the NDR Bigband. Soon he was playing in saxophone sentence - initially as a guest, since 1994 as a permanent member. In the center, he moved, the more prudent people, not so much. But when the spotlight was on him and he started to Solo, then developed his game a very special effect: With eyes closed, he stood there, the sounds flowed as surprising as logically from his instrument, his whole body seemed to be doing in music to transform , -- In his game put special depth Many guests of the NDR Bigband have him and his game so experienced and appreciated: jazz greats such as Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin, João Bosco, or Omar Sosa Abdullah Ibrahim enjoyed it when Lutz Büchner played next to them. The Americans Dale Wilson dedicated to him and his saxophone colleagues Fiete Felsch a whole big band suite, and the composer Maria Schneider wanted to take him for a visit to the NDR Bigband prefer equal to New York. It was not just his technique and its almost limitless expressive possibilities with which Lutz Büchner enthusiastic way. In his play put a special depth. "It is his sound," Maria Schneider once said, "Lutz touched me." Soloistic booms and delicate poetry In the improvisation so the whole man always reflects. So Lutz Büchner could play endlessly enthralling, exciting and powerful on the tenor saxophone. Unforgotten is his solo flight of the Duke Ellington Tribute "diminuendo, crescendo and crescendissimo in blue", in which he several minutes a blazing fire always rekindled until the audience literally at a performance of the NDR Bigband in New York at the end of the Sitting were torn. His other, lyrical side was particularly strong to listen to the clarinet, on which he was one of the most extraordinary voices of modern jazz, perhaps the world. Intimate and delicate, like breathy floated the sounds in the air, each of them had meaning. Not only in the NDR Bigband, even in his own formations were heard his strong play and his polished compositions. With his quartet (Sandra Hempel, Heinz Lichius and Pepe Berns) joined Lutz Büchner 2005 at the 2nd Hamburg jazz days in the Kampnagel factory. In the same year (with Björn Lücker and Philipp Steen) was created with the trio Connex a self-titled album, and in 2006 he released his highly acclaimed, highly acclaimed by critics CD "Ring". "My goal is," Lutz Büchner once said, "to play the very moment." We owe him many unforgettable moments. With him we lose a loved one, a great artist and a wonderful colleague. Stefan Gerdes Editorial NDR Big band / jazz editorial Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/LydiasTuneOnNissanStageNashville Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Topics Lydia, Summer NAMM Show, Lee Oskar, Harmonica, Jon Hammond, Nashville Tennessee, #HammondOrgan Lydia's Tune - Jon Hammond Funk Unit on Nissan Stage Nashville https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2016/events/jon-hammond-funk-unit Nashville, Tennessee Music City Center, front line: Lee Oskar harmonica, Joe Berger guitar, Cord Martin tenor, Roland Barber trombone, Jon Hammond organ, Rhythm section Chuggy Carter congas & percussion, Louis Flip Winfield drums Producer Jon Hammond Language English Front Line Jon Hammond Band 2 minutes before hit time on Nissan Stage - Summer NAMM Show Nashville Music City Center

Jon Hammond Nissan Stage - Nashville Music City Center

Jon Hammond Funk Unit on Nissan Stage - Summer NAMM Show Nashville Music City Center

Jon Hammond Funk Unit L to R Lee Oskar harmonica, Chuggy Carter congas & percussion, Joe Berger guitar, Cord Martin tenor saxophone, Roland Barber, trombone, trumpet, sea shell, Louis Flip Winfield drums, Gerg Herreman productions manager, Jon Hammond organ / leader / producer

Jimmy Dean and Roy Clark - NBC Tonight Show

Roy Clark American Eagle Awards and Emmylou Harris award recipient looking on from her table

Jon Hammond at the newly appointed Director of Hammond Europe Jan Kok in Frankfurt at musikmesse

Jon Hammond with his good friends - Suzuki Musical Instruments Corp. from Hamamatsu Japan at Hammond Party introducing XK-5 Prototype organ

Jon Hammond's very special gift from Suzuki Musical Instruments team - Hammond Mouth Organ HA-20 made by Suzuki, Japan

Joe Lamond NAMM President CEO - photo Jon Hammond #NAMM #JoeLamond

#RoyClark #GrandOleOpry #EagleAwards #NAMMShow #EmmylouHarris #JohnConlee #Nissan #Lydia #SummerNAMM #NAMMShow #Nashville #HammondOrgan #RoyClarkElementary Roy Clark Elementary School Tulsa, Oklahoma

Suzuki Musical Instruments Hammond Summit Meeting Frankfurt Germany - Strategy, Innovation, Technology - Suzuki The Name You Know

Greg Herreman Productions Manager NAMM overseeing Cord Martin tenor saxophonist about to hit on Nissan Stage Nashville Music City Center

Louis Flip Winfield drums on Jon Hammond Funk Unit - Nissan Stage Nashville Music City Center - photo by Jon Hammond just before hit onstage

Roy Clark and Glen Campbell playing on one guitar - Roy and Glen are dear old friends, 2 of the most successful guitarists in the world

Roy Clark on Hee Haw long-running television show with Buck Owens and Tennessee Ernie Ford #HeeHaw

Jon Hammond American Eagle Awards group shot with honorees Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Roy Clark, John Conlee et al - *note, far right NAMM's Mary Luehrsen - NAMM Foundation executive director

Bill Cody announcer WSM Radio / Grand Ole Opry with Jon Hammond at American Eagle Awards - Nashville Music City Center

Jon Hammond and Roy Clark in the Green Room at American Eagle Awards -

Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/RoyClarkTelevisionInterviewWithJonHammond Roy Clark Television Interview with Jon Hammond just before Roy appeared on the American Eagle Awards in Nashville Tennessee during Summer NAMM Show - Roy Clark an American Living Legend and long-time member of The Grand Ole Opry and The Country Music Hall of Fame - Roy's wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Clark Roy Linwood Clark (born April 15, 1933) is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1992. Roy Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre. During the 1970s, Clark frequently guest-hosted for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and enjoyed a 30-million viewership for Hee Haw. Clark is highly regarded and renowned as a guitarist and banjo player, and is also skilled on classical guitar and several other instruments. Although he has had hit songs as a pop vocalist (e.g., "Yesterday, When I Was Young" and "Thank God and Greyhound"), his instrumental skill has had an enormous effect on generations of bluegrass and country musicians. He has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry, since 1987[1][2] and The Country Music Hall of Fame. BIOGRAPHY: Born in Meherrin, Virginia, Clark lived as a teenager in southeast Washington, D.C., where his father worked at the Washington Navy Yard. At 14, Clark began playing banjo, guitar, and mandolin, and by age 15 he had already won two National Banjo Championships[3] and world banjo/guitar flatpick championships. He was simultaneously pursuing a sporting career, first as a baseball player and then as a boxer, before dedicating himself solely to music. At 17, he had his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. At the age of 23, Clark obtained his pilot's license and then bought a 1953 Piper Tri-Pacer (N1132C), which he flew for many years. This plane was raffled off on December 17, 2012, to benefit the charity Wings of Hope.[4] He has owned other planes, including a Mitsubishi MU-2, Stearman PT-17[5] and Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond 1A bizjet.[6] By 1955, he was a regular on Jimmy Dean's Washington, D.C., television program. Dean, who valued punctuality among musicians in his band, the Texas Wildcats, fired Clark for habitual tardiness, telling him, "You're the most talented person I've ever fired." Clark married Barbara Joyce Rupard on August 31, 1957.[7] In 1960, Clark went out to Las Vegas, where he worked as a guitarist in a band led by former West Coast Western Swing bandleader-comedian Hank Penny. During the very early 1960s, he was also prominent in the backing band for Wanda Jackson—known as the Party Timers—during the latter part of her rockabilly period.[8] When Dean was tapped to host The Tonight Show in the early 1960s, he asked Clark to appear, introducing him to a national audience for the first time. Subsequently, Clark appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies as a recurring character (actually two: he played businessman Roy Halsey and Roy's mother, Myrtle). Once, on an episode of the Sunday evening Jackie Gleason Show dedicated to country music, Clark played a blistering rendition of "Down Home". Later, he appeared on an episode of The Odd Couple wherein he played "Malagueña".[9] In 1963, Clark signed to Capitol Records and had three top ten hits. He switched to Dot Records and again scored hits. He later recorded for ABC Records, which had acquired Dot, and MCA Records, which absorbed the ABC label. Clark as "Myrtle Halsey" on The Beverly Hillbillies, 1968. In the mid '60s, he co-hosted, along with Buck Owens, a weekday daytime country variety series for NBC entitled "Swingin' Country", which was cancelled after two seasons. In 1969, Clark and Buck Owens were the hosts of Hee Haw. The show was dropped by CBS Television in 1971 but continued to run in syndication for twenty-one more years. During its tenure, Clark was a member of the Million Dollar Band and participated in a host of comedy sketches. In 1983, Clark opened the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre in Branson, Missouri, becoming the first country music star to have his own venue there, thus beginning a trend which led to Branson becoming a center of live music performance, as it is today. Many of the celebrities who play in Branson first performed at the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre. Clark frequently played in Branson during the 1980s and 1990s. He has since sold the venue (now owned by the Hughes Brothers and renamed the Hughes American Family Theatre) and gone back to a fairly light touring schedule, which usually includes a performance with Ramona Jones and the Jones Family Band at their annual tribute to Clark's old Hee Haw co-star Grandpa Jones in Mountain View, Arkansas.[citation needed] In addition to his musical skill, Clark has often displayed his talents as a comedian and actor. During his years on Hee Haw, Clark entertained with numerous comedy sketches, including a recurring feature where he played the clerk of the "Empty Arms Hotel". Clark released several albums of his comedic performances, to varying critical acclaim and commercial success. Clark is one of the few surviving regular male cast members from the show.[citation needed] Clark has endorsed Mosrite, Gretsch, and many other brands of guitars during his career. He currently endorses Heritage Guitars, which makes a Roy Clark model. On August 22, 1987, Clark was made a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He plays an annual benefit concert at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, the proceeds of which go to fund scholarships for aspiring musicians.[citation needed] For many years Clark has made his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Roy Clark Elementary School in Tulsa's Union School District was named in his honor in 1978. Fellow Oklahoma resident Mickey Mantle arranged for Clark to sing "Yesterday When I Was Young" at his funeral (which Clark did in 1995).[10] On May 17, 2009, Clark was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame along with Barbara Mandrell and Charlie McCoy. On September 23, 2010, Clark sang "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch at Dodger Stadium in a game featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the San Diego Padres. On April 12, 2011, Clark was honored by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He will be honored by the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame as Oklahoma's Music Ambassador for Children and will be presented with a commendation from Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin. Producer Jon Hammond Language English Roy Clark and Jon Hammond in Nashville Tennessee at the American Eagle Awards