British guitarist reacts to the day that Roy Clark WON at playing the guitar!

As the story goes, someone once asked Eddie Van Halen what it was like being the greatest guitar player in the world, and his response was, "you'll have to go ask Roy Clark"

Roy has never gotten the recognition he deserves because he was never that well known outside of Country music. He is, quite simply, one of the best guitarists who has ever lived regardless of genre.

According to Jack Klugman, he and Tony Randall had no idea he was going to play Maleguena on set. They thought it was going to be a slow strummy piece. The director wanted their reaction to be genuine.

They were not Felix and Oscar anymore. They were Tony Randall and Jack Klugman, absolutely mesmerised just like everyone else.

I'd like to share a story. Back in the mid-late 80s, I worked at a honky tonk in Hattisburg, Mississippi called the Cobblestone later called The Hop. I got the job because my uncle was the drummer for the house band. The house band's lead guitarist and singer was also the owner of the club. His name was Wallace Baker. Wallace was an enigma of sorts. He had this really gruff voice when talking with him but when he sang it was totally different and really smooth. Wallace work rodeo shirts and a big ole rodeo belt buckle attached to an ornate belt. He was also the greatest guitar player I have ever known. He played acoustic, electric, steel, banjo... if it had strings, he could play it. So I'm working the door on a slow Wednesday night and none other than Roy Clark and Chet Atkins walks up. There were some other folks too but I didn't recognize them. Our other bouncer says hi and confesses his fandom of Roy and Chet. Both being as humble as ever thanked him and said "Well I hear there's someone in here who is a heckuva picker." They go in and Wallace finds out Roy and Chet are in the crowd. Wallace goes all out in his playing. Just blows the doors off the place. When they walk out a couple of hours later we ask them "Well what did you think of Wallace?" And Roy Clark's response was "That is the best guitar player in the entire south right now." Chet agreed. They were blown away. And that was all Wallace ever needed. It was like being handed a Grammy. He not only got to meet and talk with legends they both considered him a contemporary. The moment I knew Wallace was extraordinary was the movie Crossroads had come out on VHS and that final show down with Steve Vai just blew me away. I kept telling Wallace about it and how he had to see the whole movie. Wallace invited me and my uncle over to his house on a Saturday morning and we watched the movie together. He really enjoyed. In his gruff voice and thick southern accent "Man that Steve Vai guy can really play." It was the first time he had see or heard of him. So we left, I took my tape with me. That night at the club, as Wallace and the band was taking the stage and tuning and warming up.... Wallace started doing some bluegrass picking that transitioned into blues and then into the solo that Steve Vai did in Crossroads. My jaw hit the floor as he winked at me. He didn't have YouTube to look it up. He literally saw that scene ONE time and he nailed it. That's when I knew he was on a different level of playing. That's when I realized there were so many amazing musicians out there that most of us will never hear or know about.

I was at the taping of this episode. Got to hang out with Mr. Clark in his dressing room. He told me that classical violin was his first love but he had to go where the money was. Super nice guy. Incredible night.

I'm an advanced player. This is THE greatest Acoustic performance I have ever seen.

One of the best musicians you will EVER hear. Period.

if you start feeling cocky as a guitar player, listen to this and back down to earth.

can we just take a second to appreciate Roy's sideburns, they're borderline majestic

A metal head here too and that gives me chills... I loved Hee Haw and watching him play and the banjo too... him and Glen Campbell were AMAZING...

Oh My! The speed of that right hand! It’s like watching the wings of a hummingbird!

I had the luck (and high honor) of meeting Tony Randall and Heather (his wife) at a restaurant in NYC in 1998. I asked him about this particular scene and he told me this story. He and Jack Klugman rehearsed this scene with Roy many times, but Roy would play a different piece every time (but NEVER Bach or Mountain Dew!). When they shot this in front of the studio audience, he and Jack were both simply 'reacting', not acting. When he fell back over the sofa, that was not planned (they would have framed the shot differently it it were) and Jack was laughing at Tony's genuine reaction as he turned away from the audience and Jack mouthed "He got us!". The audience applauded, as well as most of the crew. It was a 'true moment' that was caught forever on tape. A one-take wonder thanks to the legendary Roy Clark. So, it was shot live, the music was unrehearsed, and the reactions were real. Awesome!

I'm 63 today, and so thankful to still be alive, when so many of my family and friends are gone.

Roy Clark is so underappreciated. That man's fingers on a guitar or banjo were almost magical in their speed.

Roy did more in that 3 mins than I have my entire life. Amazing.

Guitarist, Banjo, Violinist, etc. Roy mastered all types of music. Had a rare skillset which is unmatched .

Both Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen were asked by interviewers what it was like to be the world's best guitar player. Both of them answered that maybe someone should ask Roy Clark. And rightly so.

The kid is truly hits the money in his opinion of Clark, the fact that he's a baby to my 58 years on this Earth speaks volumes of his appreciation. I was probably about 10 or 11 when I saw this first run episode and even though I didn't know the piece, I knew it was strongly Spanish influence and the fact that we loved Hee Haw and so this gentleman played something from my culture just blew me away 🥰 God bless you Roy Clark , playing in heaven now.

I don't know a single guitarist (personally) who can strum that fast and that aggressively without blowing at least 2 strings in the middle. Roy Clark is just another level.