Clark, Mandrell join country hall of fame

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Roy Clark, Barbara Mandrell and Charlie McCoy were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday in a ceremony that saluted them for their music as well as their contributions to bringing the genre to a mass audience through television.

“All three of tonight’s inductees looked at the way country music was presented on television and said: ’We can make this even better. We can present country music to a mainstream audience with respect, love and humor,” said Tammy Genovese, the Country Music Association’s chief executive officer.

Clark co-hosted the TV show “Hee Haw” with Buck Owens for more than two decades. Mandrell joined sisters Louise and Irlene to host “Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters” on NBC in 1980. McCoy, an ace session musician, served as musical director of “Hee Haw” for 18 years.

The three were honored in a tribute that included performances by Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, George Jones, Alison Krauss, Josh Turner, Michael McDonald, Rodney Crowell and others.

Crowell led a harmonica-heavy rendition of Roy Orbison’s “Candy Man” for McCoy, 68, a multi-instrumentalist best known for his harmonica work.

McCoy’s first session was “Candy Man” in 1961. Since then, he’s recorded with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Tanya Tucker and many more.

The 60-year-old Mandrell began her professional career in California when she was 11. She made her national TV debut on ABC with Red Foley’s “Five Star Jubilee.” Her first concert tour was with Johnny and June Carter Cash, Patsy Cline and George Jones.

Clark, 76, got his start on Jimmy Dean’s TV show “Town and Country Time” and took over the show when Dean left. He moved to Las Vegas in 1960 and became a regular at the Golden Nugget. Later, he toured and recorded with Wanda Jackson and was a regular at the Frontier Hotel in Vegas.