Jerry Clower

Jerry Clower
Jerry Clower featured on the cover of his third book, Life Everlaughter, with his trademark racoon sports jacket circa 1987 hardcover, 1990 softcover.
Birth name	Howard Gerald Clower
Born	(1926-09-28)September 28, 1926 Liberty, Mississippi
Died	August 24, 1998(1998-08-24) (aged 71) Jackson, Mississippi
Medium	stand-up television recordings
Nationality	USA
Genres	stand up
Subject(s)	rural humor
Influenced	Jeff Foxworthy
Spouse	Homerlene Wells (1947-1998; by his death)

Howard Gerald Clower
Nickname	Jerry
Born	(1926-09-28)September 28, 1926 Liberty, Mississippi
Died	August 24, 1998(1998-08-24) (aged 71) Jackson, Mississippi
Buried at	East Fork, Mississippi
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1944-1946
Rank	Radioman Third Class (RMN3)
Awards	American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Bronze Service Star (x2) World War II Victory Medal
Other work	Fertilizer salesman, Comedian

Howard Gerald "Jerry" Clower (September 28, 1926 – August 24, 1998) was a popular country comedian best known for his stories of the rural South. He was often nicknamed "The Mouth of Mississippi".

Clower was born in Liberty, Mississippi, and began a 2-year stint in the Navy immediately after graduating high school in 1944. Upon his discharge, in 1946, he was a Radioman Third Class (RMN3) and had earned the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with two bronze service stars), and the World War II Victory Medal. He then studied agriculture at Mississippi State University, where he played college football and was a member of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. After finishing school, in 1951, Clower worked as a county agent and later as a seed salesman. He became a fertilizer salesman for Mississippi Chemical in 1954. By this time, he had developed a reputation for telling funny stories to boost his sales.

Eventually, tapes of Clower's speaking engagements wound up in the hands of Edwin "Big Ed" Wilkes and Bud Andrews in Lubbock, Texas, who had him make a better quality recording which they promoted. MCA Records later awarded "The Coon Hunt" a platinum album for sales in excess of $1 million at the retail level.

At first, Clower took orders at his speaking engagements, selling 8000 copies on the Lemon record label. In time, Wilkes sent a copy to Grant Turner at WSM radio in Nashville, and when Turner played it on the air, Clower said "that thing busted loose". MCA was soon knocking on Clower's door offering him a contract. Once MCA began distribution in 1971, Jerry Clower from Yazoo City, Mississippi Talkin’ retailed more than a million dollars over ten months and stayed in the Top 20 on the country charts for 30 weeks.

Clower made 27 full-length recordings in his 27-year career as a professional entertainer (not counting "best of" compilations). With one exception, all the recordings were released by MCA. The exception was Ain't God Good which Clower recorded with MCA's blessing at a worship service. Word Records promoted and distributed this title in 1977. Always a staunch Christian, this recording gave Clower an opportunity to present his personal testimony in a comfortable church setting.

Clower's stories often feature the Ledbetters, the quintessential Southern, agrarian clan which includes from story to story various combinations of Uncle Versie, Aunt Pet, Ardel, Burnel, Raynel, W.L., Lanel, Odell, Eudel, Marcel, Claude, Newgene, and Clovis.

In 1973, Clower became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and remained with that organization until his death. He also co-hosted a radio show called Country Crossroads with Bill Mack and Leroy Van Dyke which has aired in syndication for 40 years and a television version of the program was produced as well starting in 1993. Clower's involvement began in 1973 and lasted well over 20 years. This show was produced and distributed by the Southern Baptist Convention. Clower was also very visible as a commercial spokesman. While it was mostly confined to local commercials and those airing in the southern states, Clower could be seen selling anything from Dodge cars and trucks to transmission repairs and oil service to barbecue and fishing and hunting equipment. In fact, his salesmanship was so strong that he was named Pitchman of the Year for his commercials for flying fishing lures in 1995. An illustration of this type of propeller bait appears on his album released that year.

Clower also taped segments of Nashville On the Road which included comedic performances and interviews with other country artists featured on the show. Jim Ed Brown hosted the series with Clower during the program's first season, 1975–1976, and they were joined by Helen Cornelius in 1976. Their involvement in the series lasted until 1981. The show continued to air with new host, Jim Stafford, through 1983.

Clower's last album was Peaches and Possums, released posthumously in October 1998.

He was the author of four books. The book Ain't God Good became the basis for an inspirational documentary film of the same title that won an award from the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. His other three books include 1978's Let the Hammer Down; 1987's Life Everlaughter, and 1993's Stories From Home.

Clower died following heart bypass surgery, aged 71. He had been married to Homerline Wells Clower since August 1947. He was also survived by a son, Ray (1953-2011), three daughters, Amy, Sue, and Katy, and seven grandchildren.

Discography

Year	Album	Chart Positions			RIAA	Label
		US Country	US Comedy	US
1971	From Yazoo City - Mississippi Talkin'	19			Gold	Decca
1972	The Mouth of Mississippi					MCA
1973	Clower Power	7
1974	Country Ham	12
1975	Live in Picayune	8
1976	The Ambassador of Goodwill	40
1977	On the Road
1977	Ain't God Good!!					Word Records
1978	Live from the Stage of the Grand Ole Opry!	50				MCA
1979	Greatest Hits			189
1980	Ledbetter Olympics
1981	More Good 'Uns	43
1982	Dogs I Have Known
1983	Live at Cleburne, Texas
1984	Starke Raving!
1985	An Officer and a Ledbetter
1985	The Best of Jerry Clower
1986	Runaway Truck
1987	Top Gum
1988	Classic Clower
1989	Let There Be Light
1990	The Mouth of the Mighty Mississip'
1991	Racoonteur
1992	Sidewinder
1993	Stories Told Funny
1994	Jerry Joins the Navy
1995	Fishin', Frogs, Hawgs, and Dawgs
1997	Live at Dollywood
1998	Peaches and Possums {final album}
1999	Great Moments with Jerry Clower
1999	Legendary Clower
1999	More Clower Power
2005	The Jerry Clower Collection					Madacy Records
2006	Classic Clower Power	52	3			MCA Nashville
2008	Collectors Edition Box Set					Madacy Special Markets

External links

• Jerry Clower at the Internet Movie Database
• Jerry Clower article at CMT.com
• Jerry Clower Discography
• Liberty Mississippi
• Jerry Clower "Burning Building" routine at YouTube
• Jerry Clower (1926 - 1998) at Find A Grave
• Jerry Clower at The Mississippi Writers Page
• Jerry Clower Remembered