Born in Canada 104 Years Ago Today, the “World’s Funniest Storyteller” and Star of This Countrified CBS Variety Show

Both uniquely country and uniquely Canadian, Gordon Robert “Gordie” Tapp entertained audiences for more than two decades as Cousin Clem on CBS’ long-running comedy-variety television show Hee Haw.

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Born in London, Ontario, Canada, on this day (June 4) in 1922, Tapp was once introduced to U.S. President Gerald Ford as the world’s funniest storyteller.

In addition to his acting, he was also one of the original writers on Hee Haw, helping craft side-splitting sketches for a viewship of millions.

The Life and Career of Gordie Tapp

After studying at Toronto’s Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts, Gordie Tapp began his career as a jazz disc jockey on a radio station in Hamilton, Ontario.

He shifted gears to country music at the request of his station director, who had built a program called Main Street Jamboree and asked Tapp to come aboard. He did, creating his own character called “Gaylord.”

An ardent jazz enthusiast, Tapp never quite developed the same affinity for country music.

“But they offered me $35 more each week to stay, so I did,” he said in a 2012 press conference. “That was a lot of money in those days.”

Regardless of his personal preferences, Main Street Jamboree showcased Tapp’s substantial comedic abilities. He later moved on to CBC’s Country Hoedown, which ran from 1956-1965. This is where he birthed his iconic “country bumpkin” character, Cousin Clem.

Heading South

In 1969, Gordie Tapp brought Cousin Clem to Nashville, where he pulled double duty as a writer and cast member on Hee Haw for the show’s entire 24-year run.

Tapp’s roster of characters on Hee Haw also included Lavern Nagger, the terminally henpecked husband of Ida Lee Nagger.

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In addition to his extensive radio and TV resume, Tapp also performed years of unpaid work for medical charities such as Muscular Dystrophy Canada and Easter Seals. He received the Order of Canada—the country’s second-highest honor—for this work in 1998.

In 1990, the Canadian Country Music Association Hall of Fame welcomed Tapp into its ranks.

“If laughter is the best medicine, Gordie Tapp has cured more country music enthusiasts than anyone else in the history of Canada,” his Hall of Fame bio reads.

Gordie Tapp died in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, on December 18, 2016. He was 94 years old.

Featured image by Mario Geo/Toronto Star via Getty Images