Jerry Scoggins facts for kids

Jerry Scoggins (born September 30, 1911 – died December 7, 2004) was an American singer and guitarist. He was famous for his country and western music. Jerry sang on radio, in movies, and on TV for many years, from the 1930s to the 1980s. He is best known for singing "The Ballad of Jed Clampett", which was the theme song for the popular 1960s TV show The Beverly Hillbillies. He also worked with famous stars like Gene Autry and Bing Crosby.

Jerry Scoggins' Early Life and Music

Jerry Scoggins was born in Mount Pleasant, Texas in 1911. When he was young, in the early 1930s, he sang and played guitar on radio stations in Dallas. In 1936, he started his own music group called the Cass County Kids. He formed this group with John Dodson and Fred Martin.

The Cass County Boys and Famous Friends

About ten years later, in 1946, a famous country musician named Gene Autry hired Jerry's group. Gene Autry was known as "The Singing Cowboy." He changed their name to the Cass County Boys. They worked with Gene Autry for 12 years. They appeared on his Melody Ranch radio show and in 17 of his movies. The Cass County Boys also performed with Bing Crosby on TV in the early 1950s.

In 1996, the Cass County Boys were honored. They were added to the Western Music Hall of Fame. They also received a special Golden Boot Award.

Singing for The Beverly Hillbillies

In 1962, Jerry Scoggins was working as a stockbroker. He still sang on weekends for fun. That's when he was asked to sing the theme song for a new TV show. The show was called The Beverly Hillbillies. Jerry sang the words, while Lester Flatt played guitar and Earl Scruggs played banjo.

The song, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," became a huge hit! It was very popular on the music charts.

The Movie Version

In 1993, Jerry Scoggins was retired. He heard that 20th Century Fox was making a movie version of The Beverly Hillbillies. He called their offices to see if he could sing the song again. The studio didn't even know he was still alive! They thought about having other famous singers like Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson sing the theme. But the director, Penelope Spheeris, really wanted Jerry Scoggins to sing it. So, he got the job! He estimated he had sung the song over 1,000 times since he first recorded it.

Jerry Scoggins also appeared on TV in 1993. He sang "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" in a special show called The Legend of The Beverly Hillbillies.

Later Life and Death

Jerry Scoggins passed away in 2004. He died from natural causes at his home in Westlake Village, California. He was 93 years old. Jerry Scoggins was buried at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, California.