Junior Samples
Encyclopedia
Junior Samples, born Alvin Samples Jr. (April 10, 1926 – November 13, 1983) in Cumming, Georgia
was an American
comedian
best known for his 14-year run as a cast member of the TV show Hee Haw
.
driver who went on the radio at the age of 40 and told a story about catching the largest fish ever seen in his hometown. The story was a humorous tall tale
, and the recording of this radio story became a best-selling novelty record.
, and created a bumbling personality, often slurring his way through delivery, messing up jokes and forgetting lines. One of his most famous blunders was from "The Cornfield" sketch...
In this way, Samples did much to contribute to the post-Laugh In surrealist comedy of the show, with its strange combination of absurdist
kitsch
and down-home non sequitur
s. He was known for being one of the foursome (the others were Gordie Tapp
; Grandpa Jones
and Lulu Roman
) that made up the eponymous family of the skit called "The Culhanes of Cornfield County".
In 1993 BR5-49
was also taken as a name by an American country music band. The number also appears as a cell phone number on signs at Wishard Memorial Hospital
in Indianapolis, Indiana
cautioning against the use of cell phones. In the animated film Heavy Metal 2000
, a destination for the mining spaceship is Asteroid BR-549. The origin of the number was the "broad ring" 549 cubic inch engine that was produced by International motor company. The "BR549" was very popular with farmers when it came out due to it huge displacement and horsepower, making it a popular workhorse for the farm. Due to the fact that the cyclinders were larger than the pistopn, International used broader piston rings than normal, giving it the designation "broad ring" 549. The BR549 soon fell out of favor with farmers due to the fact that it's huge displacement produced a lot of heat, which caused the 549 to be plagued with overheating issues. International ceased production as the 549 became known as the "Edsel" of the International Motor Co.
on a Republican
ticket with then-mayor Ronnie Thompson
, who was seeking the party's gubernatorial
nomination. The media at first presented Samples' announcement as a political story. However, Samples was pulling a practical joke for publicity purposes. Thompson remained in the race and was defeated in the general election
by the Democrat
George D. Busbee.
at the age of 57 in 1983. His funeral was officiated by close friend, Rev.Douglas Collins.
, he was well received by radio. His first break came in 1966 with the recording of "The Whopper." He was nominated for two Comedian of the Year Awards from the Country Music Awards in 1969 and 1970, and released a number of other comedy albums.
Cumming, Georgia
Cumming is a city in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,430 at the 2010 census. However, places with a Cumming mailing address have a population of around 100,000...
was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
best known for his 14-year run as a cast member of the TV show Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
.
Early Years
Samples was a stock car racingStock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
driver who went on the radio at the age of 40 and told a story about catching the largest fish ever seen in his hometown. The story was a humorous tall tale
Tall tale
A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some such stories are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories such as, "that fish was so big, why I tell ya', it nearly sank the boat when I pulled it in!" Other tall tales are completely...
, and the recording of this radio story became a best-selling novelty record.
Hee Haw
He was asked to become part of the 1969 cast of Hee HawHee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
, and created a bumbling personality, often slurring his way through delivery, messing up jokes and forgetting lines. One of his most famous blunders was from "The Cornfield" sketch...
- Junior: "What did the judge lock up old Stan Hawkins fer?"
- Roy Clark: "Bigotry. He had three wives!"
- Junior: "That's not bigotry, that's trig...trem...tri..." The word he continually slipped on was "trigonometry".
In this way, Samples did much to contribute to the post-Laugh In surrealist comedy of the show, with its strange combination of absurdist
Absurdism
In philosophy, "The Absurd" refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any...
kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
and down-home non sequitur
Non sequitur (absurdism)
A non sequitur is a conversational and literary device, often used for comedic purposes. It is a comment that, because of its apparent lack of meaning relative to what it follows, seems absurd to the point of being humorous or confusing....
s. He was known for being one of the foursome (the others were Gordie Tapp
Gordie Tapp
Gordon Robert "Gordie" Tapp, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian entertainer.Tapp studied at the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts. He was the host for Main Street Jamboree, a radio program broadcast from Hamilton during the 1950s. Tapp later hosted the CBC television show Country Hoedown...
; Grandpa Jones
Grandpa Jones
Louis Marshall Jones , known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer...
and Lulu Roman
Lulu Roman
Lulu Roman is a former telephone operator and go-go dancer turned comedian and singer. She is probably best known as a regular on the comedy-music television series Hee Haw....
) that made up the eponymous family of the skit called "The Culhanes of Cornfield County".
BR-549
However, his most famous bit was as a used car salesman, inviting callers to call an older 5-digit phone number, BR-549 (in the show's later years, the number was changed to BR-1Z1Z). When Hee Haw episodes were later sold to the public through a TV ad, the initial 800 number was a takeoff of Samples' comedy bit.In 1993 BR5-49
BR5-49
BR549 is an American country music band. Founded in 1993, the band originally comprised Gary Bennett , Don Herron , "Smilin'" Jay McDowell , Chuck Mead , and "Hawk" Shaw Wilson...
was also taken as a name by an American country music band. The number also appears as a cell phone number on signs at Wishard Memorial Hospital
Wishard Memorial Hospital
The William N. Wishard Memorial Hospital, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is one of Indianapolis' oldest hospitals. The hospital was founded in 1855 in response to a smallpox epidemic in the city. During the Civil War, Wishard was used by the Union Army to treat soldiers...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
cautioning against the use of cell phones. In the animated film Heavy Metal 2000
Heavy Metal 2000
Heavy Metal 2000 is the 2000 follow-up to the 1981 animated cult film Heavy Metal, based on the fantasy magazine of the same name. The story itself is based on the graphic novel, The Melting Pot, written by Kevin Eastman, Simon Bisley and Eric Talbot...
, a destination for the mining spaceship is Asteroid BR-549. The origin of the number was the "broad ring" 549 cubic inch engine that was produced by International motor company. The "BR549" was very popular with farmers when it came out due to it huge displacement and horsepower, making it a popular workhorse for the farm. Due to the fact that the cyclinders were larger than the pistopn, International used broader piston rings than normal, giving it the designation "broad ring" 549. The BR549 soon fell out of favor with farmers due to the fact that it's huge displacement produced a lot of heat, which caused the 549 to be plagued with overheating issues. International ceased production as the 549 became known as the "Edsel" of the International Motor Co.
Politics
In 1974, Samples announced that he was "seriously considering" running for lieutenant governor of GeorgiaLieutenant Governor of Georgia
The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the state, elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. Unlike some states, the lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ticket from the state Governor....
on a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
ticket with then-mayor Ronnie Thompson
Ronnie Thompson (Georgia politician)
Ronald John Thompson, known as Ronnie Thompson or Machine Gun Ronnie' Thompson , is a former Georgia Republican politician who was the first member of his party to have been elected mayor of Macon, the seat of Bibb County in central Georgia. Thompson served two controversial terms from 1967-1975...
, who was seeking the party's gubernatorial
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
nomination. The media at first presented Samples' announcement as a political story. However, Samples was pulling a practical joke for publicity purposes. Thompson remained in the race and was defeated in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
by the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
George D. Busbee.
Personal life and death
Samples, whose weight sometimes neared four hundred pounds, was on Hee Haw for 14 years, until he died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of 57 in 1983. His funeral was officiated by close friend, Rev.Douglas Collins.
Discography
Throughout the years Samples recorded several albums. Although he was known for his television appearances on Hee HawHee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
, he was well received by radio. His first break came in 1966 with the recording of "The Whopper." He was nominated for two Comedian of the Year Awards from the Country Music Awards in 1969 and 1970, and released a number of other comedy albums.
- The World of Junior Samples (1967)
- Bull Session at Bull's Gap (1968)
- That's a Hee Haw (1970)
- Junior Samples and Archie Campbell (1977)