Hee Haw Begins Tonight in Bolivar

Shackelford Funeral Directors • March 25, 2013

In 1979, the Hardeman County chapter of the American Cancer Society was looking for a way to reach their fundraising goal, and so was born the “Hardeman County Hee Haw & Howdy Show,” modeled after the popular television variety series, “Hee Haw.”

Don Shackelford, Bertha Vaughan and Bunny Orr combined their efforts as founders of the production that would showcase the musical and comedic talents of hundreds of Hardeman County residents and raise money for cancer research. Don was the show’s first writer and director, serving as such for 10 years prior to retiring in 1990, while Bertha Vaughan stayed on for 18 years as musical director before handing her duties over to Jeff and Kandy Shackelford. Bobby Sain is the current writer and director.

The Hee Haw & Howdy Show, now commonly referred to as “Hee Haw,” has been running for 34 years and continues to be a success, selling out multiple performances. It’s an annual variety show that is full of laughter and country music put on by Hardeman County residents who devote months of preparation and hard work to it. Local talents provide musical entertainment for the audience while characters from the original television series, including Lulu, Stringbean, Junior and Grandpa, make their way onto the stage to deliver jokes.

Until 2006, “Hee Haw” was performed in the Bolivar Central High School auditorium on a weekend in the spring. Now, the show takes place at the Hardeman County Arts Center and runs for an entire week due to ticket demand. In fact, of the more than 1,200 seats available, over 1,000 were sold within the first week of ticket sales. What’s even better is that, thanks to the people of Hardeman County, the Hee Haw & Howdy Show has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society.

Shackelford Funeral Directors is proud to have been a long-time sponsor of this great effort. As mentioned before, Don Shackelford, former manager of the Bolivar location prior to his death in 2000, was writer and director of the show for a period of time and continued to support the show for years after. Jeff Shackelford, present manager and President of Shackelford Funeral Directors of Bolivar, Inc., is the current musical director and plays lead guitar in the Hee Haw band alongside his wife, Kandy, who plays bass guitar and daughter, Jillian Wisely, who sings and plays rhythm guitar in this year’s show. Kandy and Jillian are both employees at Shackelford Funeral Directors in Bolivar.

Tickets, though few, are still available for some of the Hee Haw performances, the first of which is tonight, March 25 th , at the Hardeman County Arts Center located at 1580 West Market Street in Bolivar. Other dates include March 26, 28-30 with two performances on Saturday, the 30 th . Tickets may be purchased for $10 each at Weems Furniture in Bolivar, 425 Tennessee Street, (731) 658-2081.

Don Shackelford and his granddaughter Jillian (Shackelford) Wisely in 1989.

Jeff Shackelford (center) with Maynard and the cuties as they do a little “Pickin’ and Grinnin’.”

(L-R) Kandy Shackelford, Mike Smalley, and Jeff Shackelford performing as a bluegrass trio.
This post was written by Jillian Wisely of Shackelford Funeral Directors in Bolivar. Jillian is the daughter of Jeff and Kandy Shackelford.

By Lisa Thomas May 8, 2025
It was late one Saturday afternoon when the guests gathered beneath the boughs of an ancient oak. They had come to celebrate the beginning of a life together for two young people they all knew and loved, but before the ceremony began with the official seating of the grandparents and parents of the bride and groom, a woman walked down the aisle, carrying sunflowers which she gently laid in a chair at the front.
By Lisa Thomas May 1, 2025
The crowd was tremendous, numbering in the tens of thousands, and all willing to wait the almost eight hours it could take to reach their destination. And the vast majority of them came armed with cell phones and the occasional selfie stick.
By Lisa Thomas April 23, 2025
As a child I always had a love-hate relationship with Easter. I loved the egg hunts we had at school, walking to a nearby classmate’s home and searching for the elusive eggs scattered about the yard. I wasn’t crazy about being required to dress up for the church service—mainly because I wasn’t crazy about being required to dress up for much of anything.
By Lisa Thomas April 17, 2025
When a family comes to the funeral home to make arrangements for someone they have loved and lost, they come bearing much more than clothes and a picture for the memorial folder. They just don’t always realize it.
By Lisa Thomas April 9, 2025
If you were allowed to live a normal, rough-and-tumble childhood, then you probably have the scars to show for your adventures. I know I do.
By Lisa Thomas April 3, 2025
It was one of those nights when his daddy had to work late, and our youngest grandchild Malcolm was upset because he wouldn’t be home for their normal bedtime routine.
By Lisa Thomas March 27, 2025
Nick and Christina married on July 4th and every year thereafter celebrated with a big cake covered in sparklers. Nick owned a Greek restaurant and the cook there knew that each July 4th, that cake was not only expected but greatly anticipated. So, it concerned Christina when her husband began asking about the cake more than a month away from their anniversary . . .
By Lisa Thomas March 19, 2025
As best we can tell, she adopted us in December of 2022. Not that we minded. We were coming off of two very difficult years and this little furball proved to be the bright spot we needed.
By Lisa Thomas March 12, 2025
Some important things to know about James Christopher Harrison: 1. He was known as the Man with the Golden Arm. 2. He saved the lives of over two million infants. 3. He was afraid of needles but . . . 4. He donated blood and/or plasma 1,173 times in his 88 years of life. 5. That life ended on February 17, 2025.
By Lisa Thomas March 6, 2025
We’ve all watched those movies or television shows where the wealthy relative dies and everyone gathers in the lawyer’s office or, better yet, the library in the mansion of the recently deceased—the one with the dark wood paneling, filled with books they never read and overstuffed furniture.
More Posts