‘Hee Haw’ Co-Star ‘Stunned’ by Roy Clark’s Death, Says He Was ‘A Natural’

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Following Roy Clark’s death on Nov. 15, a star on his hit show “Hee Haw” has spoken out.

Clark died at the age of 85 his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, due to complications caused by pneumonia, according to reports.

Roy Clark and Brad Paisley perform onstage at the 50th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 2, 2016. (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)

Victoria Hallman, who appeared on the long-running country show, said she’s “just stunned” by his passing.

“He was having trouble with his back, but that’s about it. None of us had any idea he was so ill. We knew physically he was breaking down from all the traveling and everything he has always done, but we weren’t aware he was in danger of leaving us so soon. But it’s been very cold here in the South, in Tulsa. I just have to assume something happened to him because of the weather and he just never recovered,” she told Fox News. She saw him two years ago in Nashville, Tennessee.

“When I walked in, Roy was already playing and singing,” she recalled of the meeting. “It was so poignant to see Roy doing what he loved… He had a hard time getting around, but just to see him rather up in age now, playing this lovely song… I just stopped and listened… You know, Roy was completely untrained as a musician.”

“He was just one of those people you would call a natural. He could just pick up any instrument and begin to play it. His gift was God-given. He was born to entertain.”

Hallman’s rep Ruth Elkins said Clark remained passionate about music until his death. “I remember one time he had surgery, I believe for his gallbladder,“ she said. ”Not long after, he was on stage for over two hours performing. He just loved the audience and they loved him back.”

“A TV camera goes right through your soul,” Clark said of TV work, CNN reported. “If you’re a bad person, people pick that up. I’m a firm believer in smiles. I used to believe that everything had to be a belly laugh. But I’ve come to realize that a real sincere smile is mighty powerful.”

“Soon as you hit the edge of the stage and see people smiling and know they’re there to hear you, it’s time to have fun,” Clark stated about performing. “I keep a band of great young people around me, and we’re not musically restrained. It’s not about ‘let’s do it correct’ but ‘let’s do it right.’”

He’s survived by his wife, Barbara, and his five children.