"Hee Haw" Drummer Willie Ackerman Dies

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 15 Dec 2012 5:47 am

William Paul “Willie Ackerman,” a drummer who played on country music classics including Marty Robbins’ “El Paso,” George Jones’ “The Grand Tour” and Jerry Reed’s “Amos Moses,” died Thursday at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville after years of declining health. A professional musician from the age of 17, Mr. Ackerman was 73.

A former “Grand Ole Opry” staff band drummer and the drummer on syndicated television show “Hee Haw,” Mr. Ackerman was born and raised in Nashville. From 1957 through the 1980s, he worked with a bevy of music stars, including Louis Armstrong, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, Tom T. Hall, Charley Pride, Johnny Cash and many more.

http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2012 ... ies-at-73/

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 16 Dec 2012 6:30 am

Willie also worked on Johnny Bush's first album. That is his foot doing the beats in Sound Of A Heartache. Johnny tells about it in his book and how he used the musicians he had been doing demo's with. Jerry Reed also played on that album.

Johnny Cox · Post by **Johnny Cox** » 17 Dec 2012 4:19 am

Willie was an unsung hero. Watch any Hee Haw rerun and you will see Willie playing with the Hee Haw Band. He played on a bunch of records in the 60's, 70's and into the 80's. Most of all he was a good guy. Rest well Willie.

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 17 Dec 2012 10:33 am

A good drummer and a good guy. He used to stop by Gabe's once in a while.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 18 Dec 2012 10:28 am

A Master Musician and another that has went on.

Prayers for family and friends.

Terry Wood

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 18 Dec 2012 10:36 am

Johnny Cox said:

Watch any Hee Haw rerun and you will see Willie playing with the Hee Haw Band.

Johnny, I changed the title of this thread to reflect this. For the average person, his work on Hee Haw is probably his most famous.

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 22 Dec 2012 5:00 pm

Got to work a session in Springfield, Missouri with Willie. We were doing a theme for a country music show to be aired there. The MC was Nat Stuckey, and the guest girl singer was a young redhaired girl from Oklahoma named...Reba McIntyre. Willie was a classy musician. He opened his wallet to show us his union card once and there was a badge. I asked him what it was and he said, "Deputy sheriff". He was also in law enforcement. Never would have guessed it. A great and funny guy to work with. RIP my friend.