Ask "Mr. Music"
Jerry Osborne


FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 23, 1998

DEAR JERRY: I read the question from Donald B. Davis of Madisonville, Kentucky, regarding where the Clampetts lived before moving to Beverly Hills. I asked my husband who is a real authority on anything being shown on Nick at Nite or Nostalgia Channel, and he says the Clampetts lived in Bug Tussle.

I checked his answer out in "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows.". It states that there is one episode in which Granny returns "home" to Bug Tussle, hoping to find a husband for Elly May.

The book also states that the Clampetts traveled to Hooterville around Christmas to spend the holidays with their friends "back home."

They appear to have lived in the Ozarks, in Bug Tussle, somewhere near Hooterville.
--Janese Baket, Milwaukee, Wisc.

DEAR JANESE: Yours is but one of many interesting interpretations we received. Let's look at a few others:


DEAR JERRY: I don't believe it was ever mentioned specifically where the Hillbillies lived, but I have some conclusions based on clues and tidbits from several episodes:

In one show, Jed and Pearl (Jethro's mother) go to the movies in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Jed and Pearl are said to live eight miles apart.

Jethro is reportedly from Bug Tussle.

The Clampetts once took a back road from Bug Tussle to Silver Dollar City, near Branson, Missouri, where they have friends.

From these facts, it can be concluded the clan lived in the southern Missouri Ozarks, near Bug Tussle.
--John DuBois, Danville, Ill.


DEAR JERRY: Saw the question about the Clampetts in your column. I seem to remember Granny talking about Possum Ridge as being where they lived. When she brewed up some rheumatiz medicine, as she called it, she referred to it as "Tennessee tranqulizer" since Tennessee is where she was from.

Hooterville was nearby and Pixley was a little further away. Bug Tussle is where they went to see all the latest movies so that must have been close.

I love that show and still watch it once in awhile.
--Judy, via e-mail


DEAR JERRY: I have a book titled "The Beverly Hillbillies," which addresses the topic of their roots. It states that the producers purposely never revealed the specific location, thinking it would be a mistake.

According to Paul Henning: "I feel as strongly now as I did in the beginning of the show, that it would be a mistake to limit the viewers' imaginations in any way. It's my belief that millions of viewers believe that the Clampetts come directly from their own neck of the woods. That in some measure adds to the enjoyment of the show."

Apparently, then, the state of residence was never revealed, though several nearby towns and communities were mentioned from time to time.
--June Marshall, Chicago, Ill


DEAR JERRY: I remember one episode in which Grandpa is stopped by a policeman, who asks to see his driver's license. It is, of course, not a California license and the policeman protests. Grandpa responds by saying: "Well, you seen my West Virginnie license."

I'm sure someone has beaten me to my moment in the sun and relayed this answer to you already, but I wanted to make sure you got it.
--Jay Poster, Madison, Wisc.

IZ ZAT SO? "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," a No. 1 C&W hit in 1962 for Flatt & Scruggs, is by far the duo's most famous recording. By the time they recorded the Beverly Hillbillies TV theme, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs had already been performing together for 18 years. Both men met when they teamed as members of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys in the mid-'40s.



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