Clarence and Roland On The Andy Griffith Show

Here’s a video cut from the Andy Griffiths Show back in the 60’s, featuring Roland and Clarence White.

The group which was called “The Country Boys,” made several appearances with Andy. Check out this excerpt from http://ebni.com/byrds/memcw1.html 

The Country Boys (a little background)

“In 1958, banjo player Billy Ray Lathum joined. The group, now neither three nor little, shortened their name to “the Country Boys.” The next year, the band cut their first single, the Flatt & Scruggs tune “Head Over Heels in Love with You,” backed with “Kentucky Hills.” By that year, the folk music boom was in full swing, and like many bluegrass acts at the time, the Country Boys began to play coffeehouses and folk clubs. The group even landed a week-long engagement at the Ash Grove in Hollywood.
Around the same time, a friend of Eric Jr.’s named LeRoy MacNees met the Whites and was inspired to pick up the guitar after watching a few family jam sessions. In 1960, McNees came aboard as a dobro player, calling himself “LeRoy Mack.” That year the group issued its second single, “The Valley Below” backed with “High On A Mountain.”
By 1961, the Country Boys had become well enough known to land several appearances on the Andy Griffith Show. Eventually, four songs by the Country Boys were featured on a tie-in album called Songs, Themes and Laughs from the Andy Griffith Show (Capitol, 1962).” read more

What always amazed me about shows like Andy Griffiths, The Beverly Hillbillies, Pettycoat Junction (those were the 3 biggies) was the general public’s love for “hillbilly shows.” I know as a kid I was not only hooked on watching, but broke out my guitar and played along when I saw music stuff like this.

Don’t forget to share this video with your “uptown” friends (see what happens).

I have a question for you…

Do you have any fond memories of television shows that inspired you to play music?  You can leave a comment below or visit us as facebook.com to share your story.