Beloved Hee Haw comedian and gospel singer Lulu Roman, who amused viewers weekly with her direct delivery and over-the-top attire, died unexpectedly Wednesday evening, April 23. She was 78.
Louise “Lulu” Roman died Wednesday in Bellingham, Washington. Her son, Damon Roman, confirmed her passing to The Hollywood Reporter and said he had moved there to be with him seven months prior. A cause of death hasn’t been confirmed.
“Lulu Roman was always so friendly with everyone,” said The Oak Ridge Boys’ William Lee Golden. “Even though she was a comedian, she had a deep faith and strength in life. What you saw was who she was. She was the same person on stage as she was off-stage. I’ve known her for so many years, and her beautiful spirit will always live on.”
Roman was born Bertha Louise Hable in a home for unwed mothers on May 6, 1946, and was left at a Baptist facility for orphans in Dallas. Even as a child, she struggled with a thyroid condition that caused her to be overweight. She was never adopted, but her size made her unique, and her sassy personality made her stand out even more, contributing to her success in entertainment.
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Lulu Roman Grew Up in an Orphanage
She struggled with a drug problem while at W.W. Samuell High School, a problem that would come back to haunt her later in life. She graduated in 1964 and went into comedy. She called herself “Lulu Roman, the World’s Biggest Go-Go Dancer” and launched her career in Jack Ruby’s nightclubs.
Roman befriended country star Buck Owens. When Hee Haw, the famous country variety show, launched on CBS in 1969 with Owens as an anchor, Roman was on the show with him. Hee Haw ran from 1969 to 1993, and Roman was on the last episode, too. The comedian frequently worked with Junior Samples and regularly brought her deadpan delivery to Kornfield and Haystack segments as well as “Culhanes” and “Truck Stop” skits.
However, her drug problems persisted through a portion of her adult life.
She was arrested for drug possession in March 1971 and admitted using marijuana, speed, LSD, and meth. Roman left Hee Haw and was sentenced to four years – one of several incarcerations. She was unwed, found out she was pregnant, and started attending Beverly Hills Baptist Church in Oak Cliff, Texas, where he turned her life around. Roman became a devout Christian, stayed sober, and returned to work on Hee Haw, where she asked to sing one Christian song per episode.
In time, the Texas governor gave her a full pardon for her drug crimes, and Roman continued to work on Hee Haw until the show was canceled.
Lulu Roman was Sentenced for Drug Use
“After I gave my heart to Jesus, the Lord started working on me and making me into quite a different person than when I started,” she said.
Roman also starred in the 1978-79 spinoff series Hee Haw Honeys, which featured Misty Rowe and Kathie Lee Gifford, episodes of The Love Boat and Touched by an Angel, and in the movie Corky.
“Lulu was a national treasure,” said country singer Linda Davis. “Like so many, she was in my living room every Saturday night growing up. God was so kind to have brought my path into Lulu’s path. She was such an encourager and dear friend to me. I admired her talents, her warm and rich vocals, and her wit, which was off the charts. She could hold court like no other when she told her stories… colorful and honest. Her faith in her Savior was the story she most wanted to share.. and she did! Her life wasn’t easy.. tragic in so many ways… so much loss. But, she never saw herself as a victim.. because of what Christ did for her, she was VICTORIOUS!!”
In addition to her success in film and television, Roman also built a career for herself as a gospel singer. She released more than one dozen albums and performed and recorded with Dolly Parton. She was inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999. She released her autobiography, This is My Story; This Is My Song, 10 years later.
Lulu Roman Got Sober, Became a Christian
Roman was married twice. She wed her first husband, Gary Toman, in 1975 and said yes to Woody Smith in 1988. She had two sons, Damon and Justin. Justin died in 2017.
“Lulu Roman was a dear friend of 40 years, and she will always be remembered as one who made people laugh and smile,” said Grand Ole Opry member T. Graham Brown. “What better tribute is there? I talked to her a few days ago. We shared one last laugh, and I told her that I loved her. I will miss her. May God bless her soul.”
Photo by Jeremy Westby
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