Country star Roy Clark, the legendary singer and multi-instrumentalist with an ear-to-ear smile who headlined the hit TV show “Hee Haw” for nearly a quarter century, has died, in his home in Tulsa, OK due to complications from pneumonia He was 85.

Clark was the “Hee Haw” host or co-host for its entire 24-year run, with Buck Owens his best-known co-host. The country music and comedy show’s last episode aired in 1993.   Clark played the guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, harmonica and other instruments. His skills brought him gigs as a guest performer with many top orchestras, including the Boston Pops. In 1976 he even headlined a tour of the Soviet Union, breaking boundaries that were usually closed to Americans.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009, and emotionally told the crowd how moving it was “just to be associated yourself with the members of the Country Music Hall of Fame and imagine that your name will be said right along with all the list.”  And of course, he also was a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

His hits included “The Tips of My Fingers” (1963), “Yesterday When I Was Young” (1969), “Come Live With Me” (1973) and “Honeymoon Feeling” (1974). He was also known for his instrumental versions of “Malaguena,” on 12-string guitar, and “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”