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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Clémence Michallon

Roy Clark death: Country music star and 'Hee Haw' host dies, aged 85

Country music legend Roy Clark has died at the age of 85.

The musician and TV host passed away on Thursday at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, due to complications from pneumonia, Variety reports.

Clark's publicist confirmed the singer's death to the AP news agency.

A native of Virginia, Clark was best known for his work as the host of Hee Haw, a variety show dedicated to country featuring  music performances and sketches, which debuted in 1969 on CBS.

Clark initially co-hosted the show with Buck Owens from Nashville, Tennessee.

A veteran of Nashville's famed Grand Ole Opry, Clark was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009.

Clark also acted as a guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and became one of the first country musicians to go on tour in the Soviet Union.

By the age of 20, the musician already had several professional credits under his belt, according to his Country Music Hall of Fame profile.

Musician Roy Clark performs onstage during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival held at the Empire Polo Field on 29 April, 2012 in Indio, California. (Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images for Stagecoach)

He went on to sign with Capitol Records in 1960. Over the course of his career, Clark released more than 30 studio albums and dozens of singles.

Clark won seven Country Music Awards, including the 1973 Entertainer of the Year gong.

In February 1983, he collected the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance.

Clark is survived by his wife of 61 years Barbara and their four children.

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