Country Humor

Ever since country music's earliest days, humor has gone hand-in-hand with country music. It might have started with just a few jokes between songs -- a little cornpone to ease nerves and make folks feel at home -- but by the 1930s and '40s, many groups had invented elaborate skits complete with silly costumes and makeup. The Grand Ole Opry and other radio barn dances regularly featured all sorts of comics, including the Duke of Paducah, the black-face duo Jamup and Honey, and most famous of all, Minnie Pearl. The corn really crackled once the TV show Hee-Haw began in the late '60s. With Roy Clark and Buck Owens as hosts, the show regularly featured comics Minnie Pearl, Archie Campbell and Junior Samples. The show was wildly popular and stayed on the air for many years. Country comedy varies from the comedic songs of Ray Stevens to the easy rural storytelling of Jerry Clower to the stand-up comedy of Jeff Foxworthy.