Sam Lovullo

Producer Sam Lovullo talked about growing up in Buffalo, New York and moving to Los Angeles at age fifteen. He described his first job in television at CBS Business Affairs as chief accountant.  He discussed moving into production with The Jonathan Winters Show where he became an associate producer.  He then discussed in great detail his long association with the popular syndicated series Hee Haw, which he produced in Nashville. He spoke about several of the series regulars including Roy Clark Buck Owens, Minnie Pearl, and Louis “Grandpa” Jones, as well as several featured country music guest stars. He described the origins of some of the shows signature elements including the musical segment “Pffft You Was Gone” and the cast’s antics in the “Kornfield.”  He talked about the show’s growth in syndication as well as the need for syndicated shows following the FCC’s prime access rule. Finally, he talked about his work with the Country Music Association.  The five-hour interview was conducted by Stephen J. Abramson on February 3, 2005.