Canadian entertainer Gordie Tapp of ‘Hee Haw’ and CBC fame dead at 94

BURLINGTON, Ont. – Canadian entertainer Gordie Tapp, a comedian, musician and script writer who found success in radio and TV, has died at the age of 94.

Born in London, Ont., Tapp kicked off his career in radio before moving into TV.

During the 1950s, he was a founding member of "Main Street Jamboree," a radio and TV show out of Hamilton.

Tapp also hosted the music-variety program "Country Hoedown," which ran from 1956 to 1965 on CBC, and showcased his well-known character Cousin Clem.

Tapp eventually brought his act south of the border with an appearance on the popular American variety series "Hee Haw."

He also was a committed philanthropist, raising funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Easter Seals Society.

Tapp was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990, and became a member of the Order of Canada in 1998.

He is survived by his wife, Helen, and his three children.

Earlier this year, comedian Colin Mochrie visited the Lasalle Park Retirement Living Community facility, where Tapp and his wife lived, to pay tribute to the entertainer.

During an onstage chat with Tapp, Mochrie said his career was inspired in part by "Hee Haw."

"For me, it was the first show where I realized that Canadians could make it big in America," Mochrie said. "It was sort of an inspiration."