Don Harron Dead, ‘Hee Haw’ Actor Dies At 90
Don, who entertained generations of Canadians with his role as Charlie Farquharson on the country television show Hee Haw, died at his Toronto home at the age of 90.
The Canadian actor gained notoriety as Farquharson, a comical country bumpkin from Ontario, Canada. He performed as the character on Hee Haw from 1969 to 1982. The character first premiered on a CBC television revue in 1952.
Don Harron died the morning of January 17, 2015 while surrounded by his family at his home. He had opted not to seek treatment for cancer, the Associated Press reported.
Martha, Harron’s eldest daughter, said that his wit and humor are what landed him roles on CBC radio and television programs. She was quoted by the Boston Globe as having said that he was “still sharp” and “capable of being funny even though his voice was barely above a whisper.” She went on to say that it was “sad” but “beautiful.”
“He was still sharp. He was still capable of being funny even though his voice was barely above a whisper […] It’s horribly sad, but it’s beautiful, too.”
The entertainment icon helped bring the Canadian classic novel Anne of Green Gables from the page to the stage, News Talk 610 CKTB reported. The report said that his behind-the-scenes work helping create the musical version of the Lucy Maud Montgomery classic may have been his most celebrated work. The book is about a red-haired orphan residing on Prince Edward Island.
Along with Elaine Campbell, Normal Campbell, and Mavor Moore, the late actor turned the novel into a CBC television production back in 1955. Hee Haw is an American television show which features country music and humor set in the fictional rural backdrop of Kornfield Kounty. The show was televised on CBS TV from 1969 to 1971 prior to what was a 20-year run in local syndication. The shows inspiration was Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.
The show starred Archie Campbell, Roy Acuff, Gordie Tapp, Grandpa Jones, Junior Samples, Lulu Roman, Minnie Pearl, and the recently deceased Don Harron. The production took place in Nashville, Tennessee. Every episode had a running time of 60 minutes, and a total of 25 seasons were created.
Buck Owens and Roy Clark, two country music artists, hosted the show for most of the series’ run. The show was well known for its voluptuous, scantily clad women dressed in stereotypical farmer’s daughter outfits and country-esque mini-dresses. The woman eventually became known as the “Hee Haw Honeys.”
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[Image via Metro News]
