Jerry Scoggins, who sang “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,” for the television series
The Beverly Hillbillies, died on December 7. He was 93. Scoggins sang the lyrics
while bluegrass stars Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs played guitar and banjo. He
came out of retirement to sing the theme again for a 1993 movie based on the TV
series. As a young man, Scoggins sang with the Cass County Boys, a
country-Western trio, who were hired by Gene Autry for his Melody Ranch radio
program in 1946 and performed in 17 of Autry’s movies. Later in life, Scoggins
became a stockbroker, but continued performing on the weekends, at local senior
centers and hospitals, well into his 80s.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
