Catherine Graves Baker (born January 21, 1947)“'Hee Haw’ Actress Cathy Baker“. Beck, Ken. April 28, 2012. American Profile.
/ref> is an American actress, best known as a charter member of the cast for the American television country music variety show ''

Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired from 1969 to 1993, and on TNN from 1996 to 1997. Reruns of the series were broadcast on ...

''.

Life and career

Baker was born in

Edinburg, Texas Edinburg ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 100,243 at the 2020 census, and in 2022, its estimated population was 104,294, making it the second-largest city in Hidalgo County, and th ...

. She graduated from

Edinburg High School Edinburg High School (EHS) is a comprehensive public high school in Murillo, Texas, Murillo (formerly Nurillo), a census-designated place in Hidalgo County, Texas, east of Edinburg, Texas, Edinburg.University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

with a major in radio and TV.Rissy’s Treasures. Cathy Baker. Hee Haw.
/ref>

''Hee Haw''

Baker joined the cast of ''

'' at its inception in 1969 while working as a painter at the WLAC-TV studios where the show was being filmed in Nashville.Cowboys & Indians. Hofstede, David. August 28, 2019. ‘’An anniversary “sa-loot” to the music, the jokes, and the Honeys of Kornfield Kounty.’’
/ref> Originally slated to be a regular cast member, Baker became the show's de facto emcee introducing most of the musical segments involving the entire cast, during which she would often be paired with the show's mascot, Beauregard, a lovable, lethargic bloodhound. She was also something of a

foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...

to many of the comedians in the cast, particularly in the "Cornfield" segments of the show. She ended each episode with her signature sign-off: "''That’s'' all!" Baker was often part of the singing cast, but with the exception of an early performance of a song called "Hey Little Fishie", she did not sing solo. Her personality on the show was that of a sweet and bubbly blonde, quickly earning herself the nickname "Miss Hee Haw", but unlike most of the other women- the "Hee Haw Honeys", who dressed in provocative outfits on-screen, Baker wore either tomboy-style

overalls Overalls or bib-and-brace overalls, also called dungarees in British English, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers ...

or a modest dress. She became one of ''Hee Haw's'' longest-running cast members, remaining with the show until 1990.Entertainment Weekly. February 7, 1992. Cagle, Jess. “Hee Haw at 23”.
/ref>

Other appearances

*Baker briefly appeared in a non-speaking role as the wife of a

Confederate soldier The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

going to

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

in the 1970

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

television special ''

Swing Out, Sweet Land ''Swing Out, Sweet Land'' is a 1970 American TV special starring John Wayne. It was Wayne's first TV special and looked at the history of American settlement. Cast *John Wayne as Himself *Ann-Margret as Entertainer at Valley Forge *Lucille Ball ...

''. *She appeared in the 1975 film '' W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings''.

Personal life

Baker married lawyer Thomas Purcell and resides in

Orange, Virginia Orange is a town and the county seat of Orange County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,880 at the 2020 census, representing a 3.4% increase since the 2010 census. Orange is northeast of Charlottesville, southwest of Washington, ...

handling title insurance transactions for Purcell's law office. They have two adult children.https://deadorkicking.com/cathy-baker-dead-or-alive/

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Cathy 1947 births Living people People from Edinburg, Texas People from Orange, Virginia University of Texas at Austin alumni