THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2008
Country Crooner Jim Hager Dies
James "Jim" Hager, 66, formerly of Park Ridge and a graduate of Maine East High School, passed away on May 1 in Nashville, Tenn., at a coffee shop. He was pronounced dead at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Jim was best known as one of the Hager Twins on "Hee Haw", a television variety show co-hosted by Buck Owens and Roy Clark featuring country music and comedy.
The Hager brothers were adopted. Jack, their late father, was a Florida Methodist minister and mother, Frances, is a retired Mississippi school teacher.
The Hager twins first performed in church choir, which Jim believed helped "nurture their God-given talent." In high school, they were regular performers on a weekly Saturday morning television show for teens. He was in the Rifle Club his sophomore year and Variety Show junior year at Maine East.
After college, they both served in the Army, where they performed for officers' and NCO clubs in the United States and Europe. After serving their country, the twins moved to California where they performed with John Denver, The Carpenters, Steve Martin and Kenny Rogers at Randy Sparks' Los Angeles nightclub.
When Buck Owens saw one of their shows at Disneyland he signed the twins to a management, recording and booking contract.
The Hagers learned the business by opening shows for Buck, Tex Ritter, Wynn Stewart, Billie Jo Spears and Lefty Frizzell. They also recorded three country albums with Capitol Records. Their hit was "Gotta Get to Oklahoma" ('Cause California's Getting' To Me). They recorded two albums with Elektra-Asylum and one with Barnaby Records.
The twins became regular cast members on "Hee Haw" and moved to Tennessee to be on the show. They were on the first show in 1969 and left 19 years later in 1988.
The Hager twins performed for three decades.
Jim was preceded in death by his father, Jack. He is survived by, mother, Frances; twin brother, John W. Hager; nieces, Mandy and Jessyca Hager; great-nieces, Naomi, Aria, Chayla and Jack "The Wonder Dog."
A memorial service was held on Tuesday, May 6 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Marshall Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home in Nashville handled the funeral arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Elephant Sanctuary, 804 Darby Town Rd., Hohenwald, TN 37862.