- Jerry Clower
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Jerry Clower 
Jerry Clower featured on the cover of his third book, Life Everlaughter, with his trademark racoon sports jacket circa 1987 hardcover, 1990 softcover.Birth name Howard Gerald Clower Born September 28, 1926
Liberty, MississippiDied August 24, 1998 (aged 71)
Jackson, MississippiMedium stand-up
television
recordingsNationality USA Genres stand up Subject(s) rural humor Influenced Jeff Foxworthy Spouse Homerlene Wells (1947-1998; by his death) Howard Gerald Clower Nickname Jerry Born September 28, 1926
Liberty, MississippiDied August 24, 1998 (aged 71)
Jackson, MississippiBuried at East Fork, Mississippi Allegiance United States Service/branch United States Navy Years of service 1944-1946 Rank Radioman Third Class (RMN3) Awards American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Bronze Service Star (x2)
World War II Victory MedalOther work Fertilizer salesman, Comedian Howard Gerald "Jerry" Clower (September 28, 1926, Liberty, Mississippi – August 24, 1998) was a popular country comedian best known for his stories of the rural South. He was often nicknamed "The Mouth of the South", although this title has also been used for other individuals.
Clower began a 2-year stint in the Navy immediately after graduating high school in 1944. Upon his discharge, in 1946, he was a Radioman Third Class (RMN3) and had earned the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with two bronze service stars), and the World War II Victory Medal. He then studied agriculture at Mississippi State University, where he played college football and was a member of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. After finishing school, in 1951, Clower worked as a county agent and later as a seed salesman. He became a fertilizer salesman for Mississippi Chemical in 1954. By this time, he had developed a reputation for telling funny stories to boost his sales.
Eventually, tapes of Clower's speaking engagements wound up in the hands of Edwin "Big Ed" Wilkes and Bud Andrews in Lubbock, Texas, who had him make a better quality recording which they promoted. MCA Records later awarded "The Coon Hunt" a platinum album for sales in excess of $1 million at the retail level.[1]
At first, Clower took orders at his speaking engagements, selling 8000 copies on the Lemon record label. In time, Wilkes sent a copy to Grant Turner at WSM radio in Nashville, and when Turner played it on the air, Clower said "that thing busted loose". MCA was soon knocking on Clower's door offering him a contract. Once MCA began distribution in 1971, Jerry Clower from Yazoo City, Mississippi Talkin’ retailed more than a million dollars over ten months and stayed in the Top 20 on the country charts for 30 weeks.[2]
Clower made 27 full-length recordings in his 27-year career as a professional entertainer (not counting "best of" compilations). With one exception, all the recordings were released by MCA. The exception was Ain't God Good which Clower recorded with MCA's blessing at a worship service. Word Records promoted and distributed this title in 1977. Always a staunch Christian, this recording gave Clower an opportunity to present his personal testimony in a comfortable church setting.
Clower's stories often feature the Ledbetters, the quintessential Southern, agrarian clan which includes from story to story various combinations of Uncle Versie, Aunt Pet, Ardel, Burnel, Raynel, W.L., Lanel, Odell, Eudel, Marcel, Claude, Newgene, and Clovis.
In 1973, Clower became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and remained with that organization until his death. He also co-hosted a radio show called Country Crossroads with Bill Mack and Leroy Van Dyke which has aired in syndication for 40 years and a television version of the program was produced as well starting in 1993. Clower's involvement began in 1973 and lasted well over 20 years. This show was produced and distributed by the Southern Baptist Convention. Clower was also very visible as a commercial spokesman. While it was mostly confined to local commercials and those airing in the southern states, Clower could be seen selling anything from Dodge cars and trucks to transmission repairs and oil service to barbecue and fishing and hunting equipment. In fact, his salesmanship was so strong that he was named Pitchman of the Year for his commercials for flying fishing lures in 1995. An illustration of this type of propeller bait appears on his album released that year.
Clower also taped segments of Nashville On the Road which included comedic performances and interviews with other country artists featured on the show. Jim Ed Brown hosted the series with Clower during the program's first season, 1975–1976, and they were joined by Helen Cornelius in 1976. Their involvement in the series lasted until 1981. The show continued to air with new host, Jim Stafford, through 1983.
Clower's last album was Peaches and Possums, released posthumously in October 1998.
He was the author of four books. The book Ain't God Good became the basis for an inspirational documentary film of the same title that won an award from the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. His other three books include 1978's Let the Hammer Down; 1987's Life Everlaughter, and 1993's Stories From Home.
Clower died following heart bypass surgery, aged 71. He had been married to Homerline Wells Clower since August 1947. He is also survived by a son, Ray, three daughters, Amy, Sue, and Katy, and seven grandchildren.
Discography
Year Album Chart Positions RIAA Label US Country US Comedy US 1971 From Yazoo City - Mississippi Talkin' 19 Gold Decca 1972 The Mouth of Mississippi MCA 1973 Clower Power 7 1974 Country Ham 12 1975 Live in Picayune 8 1976 The Ambassador of Goodwill 40 1977 On the Road 1977 Ain't God Good!! Word Records 1978 Live from the Stage of the Grand Ole Opry! 50 MCA 1979 Greatest Hits 189 1980 Ledbetter Olympics 1981 More Good 'Uns 43 1982 Dogs I Have Known 1983 Live at Cleburne, Texas 1984 Starke Raving! 1985 An Officer and a Ledbetter 1985 The Best of Jerry Clower 1986 Runaway Truck 1987 Top Gum 1988 Classic Clower 1989 Let There Be Light 1990 The Mouth of the Mighty Mississip' 1991 Racoonteur 1992 Sidewinder 1993 Stories Told Funny 1994 Jerry Joins the Navy 1995 Fishin', Frogs, Hawgs, and Dawgs 1997 Live at Dollywood 1998 Peaches and Possums {final album} 1999 Great Moments with Jerry Clower 1999 Legendary Clower 1999 More Clower Power 2005 The Jerry Clower Collection Madacy Records 2006 Classic Clower Power 52 3 MCA Nashville 2008 Collectors Edition Box Set Madacy Special Markets References
External links
- Jerry Clower at the Internet Movie Database
- Jerry Clower article at CMT.com
- Jerry Clower Discography
- Liberty Mississippi
- Jerry Clower "Burning Building" routine at You Tube
- Jerry Clower (1926 - 1998) at Find A Grave
- Jerry Clower at The Mississippi Writers Page
Categories:- 1926 births
- 1998 deaths
- American radio personalities
- American stand-up comedians
- American religious writers
- Baptists from the United States
- Deaths from surgical complications
- Grand Ole Opry members
- Mississippi State University alumni
- People from Yazoo City, Mississippi
- People from Yazoo County, Mississippi
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