Topic: Archie Campbell

Archie Campbell (November 7, 1914 – August 29, 1987) was a writer and star of Hee Haw, a popular long-running country-flavored television variety show. He was also a recording musician with several hits on the RCA label in the 1960s.

Campbell studied art at Mars Hill College in Mars Hill, North Carolina, after which he began a radio career at WNOX in Knoxville. After a year alongside Roy Acuff on their "Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round" he relocated to WDOD in Chattanooga, where he stayed until joining the United States Navy in 1941. At the end of World War II, Campbell returned to WNOX. He left that station for rival WROL where he helped start Knoxville's first country music television show (on WROL-TV), "Country Playhouse" that premiered in 1952 and ran until 1958.

At the close of that show, he moved to Nashville to replace Rod Brasfield on the nationally-syndicated Prince Albert segment of the famous Grand Ole Opry. Shortly after, he signed a contract with RCA Victor and one of his early singles, "Trouble in the Amen Corner" reached the 1960 Country music Top 25. After an unsuccessful stint with the Starday label, Campbell returned to RCA in 1966 and had three Top 30 singles: "The Men in My Little Girl's Life" (1966), "The Dark End of the Street" (1968), and "Tell It Like It Is" (1968). He was named "Comedian of the Year" in 1969 by the Country Music Association.