Junior Samples
RETURN TO INDEX
Born Name:
Alvin Monroe Samples Jr.
Born Date: August 10, 1926
Born Place: Cumming, Georgia
Died Date: November 13, 1983
Died Place: Cumming, Georgia
Occupations: Comedian, actor
Brief Biography: Junior Samples was best known as a lovable, slow-talking regular on the hit country variety television show Hee Haw. He entertained millions with his unpolished, self-deprecating style and his iconic used-car salesman character who famously urged viewers to call "BR-549".
Early Life and "The Whopper":
Samples spent his early years living far from the spotlight Savannah. Leaving school in the sixth grade, he made his living as a carpenter, stock car racer, and fisherman Savannah. In 1966, the then-40-year-old Samples told a wild, outrageous tall tale on a local radio station about catching a record-breaking, giant fish in Lake Lanier.
Rise to Television Fame on Hee Haw:
The success of his novelty record caught the attention of producers in Nashville, which ultimately led to Samples being cast in the 1969 debut of the television show Hee Haw Today in Georgia History: Junior Samples. Remaining a fan-favorite for 14 years, Samples became famous for playing the role of a bumbling everyman Wikipedia: Junior Samples, Today in Georgia History: Junior Samples. He regularly performed blackout sketches, struggled with his lines, and laughed at his own mistakes, making him highly relatable to audiences Today in Georgia History: Junior Samples. His most memorable and enduring bit was as a used-car salesman who would hold up a small handwritten sign bearing a 5-digit phone number, BR-549 Today in Georgia History: Junior Samples. The punchline remains a permanent fixture in American pop culture lexicon.
Born Date: August 10, 1926
Born Place: Cumming, Georgia
Died Date: November 13, 1983
Died Place: Cumming, Georgia
Occupations: Comedian, actor
Brief Biography: Junior Samples was best known as a lovable, slow-talking regular on the hit country variety television show Hee Haw. He entertained millions with his unpolished, self-deprecating style and his iconic used-car salesman character who famously urged viewers to call "BR-549".
Early Life and "The Whopper":
Samples spent his early years living far from the spotlight Savannah. Leaving school in the sixth grade, he made his living as a carpenter, stock car racer, and fisherman Savannah. In 1966, the then-40-year-old Samples told a wild, outrageous tall tale on a local radio station about catching a record-breaking, giant fish in Lake Lanier.
Rise to Television Fame on Hee Haw:
The success of his novelty record caught the attention of producers in Nashville, which ultimately led to Samples being cast in the 1969 debut of the television show Hee Haw Today in Georgia History: Junior Samples. Remaining a fan-favorite for 14 years, Samples became famous for playing the role of a bumbling everyman Wikipedia: Junior Samples, Today in Georgia History: Junior Samples. He regularly performed blackout sketches, struggled with his lines, and laughed at his own mistakes, making him highly relatable to audiences Today in Georgia History: Junior Samples. His most memorable and enduring bit was as a used-car salesman who would hold up a small handwritten sign bearing a 5-digit phone number, BR-549 Today in Georgia History: Junior Samples. The punchline remains a permanent fixture in American pop culture lexicon.