Category: News/Obituary
Jim Hager, half of the singing/comedy duo the Hager Twins, died yesterday (May 1) in Nashville.
Hager collapsed at a Nashville coffee shop and died of an apparent heart attack according to Sam Lovullo, the producer of the long-running comedy/music program Hee Haw, where the Hager Twins made their name.
Jim and identical brother Jon Hager performed on Hee Haw for most of the show's history. They had five charted country songs (including an early version of Merle Haggard's song "Silver Wings"), but none made the top 40.
Jim Hager was 66.
4 comments:
I don't know why they had to add that none of their songs ever made the top 40. How rude! This man died and had many fans. Why can't you pay tribute to him in a respectful way without adding some idiotic line about none of the songs making the top 40? Now isn't the time to say something like that. Geez! Rest in peace Jim! You will be missed by many! God bless you!
Hey, Anon, for why say they didn't make the top 40? For the same reason they say Hank Thompson is known for one song after a 60 year career with 80 albums! Some people just base a person's success on chart activity, sad but a fact of life. Be thankful Jim and Jon were remembered at all because a number of country singers die without a mention anywhere.
You're both correct. It's terrible that we can only think of people who have brought joy to our lives in terms of their "success" (such as the recent announcement that Celine Dion has overtaken Elvis with most #1 hits -- as though that matters to an Elvis fan?); however, the reason I mentioned it is because we are a generation removed from Hee Haw and, with the Hagers never having a "hit," the only place they made a "name" for themselves. And, yes, it's equally terrible when someone like Thompson or Porter Wagoner passes away after a career that spanned six decades, only to see that career summed up with, "Best-known for (insert name of biggest song here)..."
Anon#1, I also mentioned Bobby Lord's lack of hits in his obit It certainly wasn't meant to be rude; rather, a simple fact. Perhaps had they made the charts, Jim's obit wouldn't have begun "Hee Haw comedian dies" on some sites.
Well, I had remembered them more for singing than for comedy.
I think that he would be pleased about that.
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