This is obviously not the article I want to be writing this afternoon. But unfortunately, Lulu Roman, Hee Haw star and gospel singer, has sadly passed away. As of right now, the cause of death is yet to be determined. She was an absolute beacon to all the people she met in her life, and the world is a little quieter and a lot dimmer without her. I wish nothing but the best to both friends and family.
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Lulu Before Hee Haw
Lulu did not have the most positive of beginnings. But she never let that deter her. In fact, Ben Laurro, her former publicist, told PEOPLE, "She endured much adversity in her life that helped her become a joy to others." And my lord was he right.
Before she came to be known famously as Lula, she was named Bertha Louise Hable. She was born in 1946 in a home for unwed mothers. She was then dropped off at a Dallas orphanage when she was young.
As if that wasn't hardship enough, she was also born with a thyroid condition. This condition caused her to become overweight. She then ended up aging out of the adoption home without being adopted.
Ben Laurro stated that despite all of this hardship, Lula did develop a gift. Which was, "the gift of making people laugh."
Opportunity In Laughter And Love
And use that gift she did. She managed to become friends with country superstar Buck Owens. He loved that sense of humor and gave her the opportunity to use that gift to land her starring role on Hee Haw. After the show debuted in 1969, it ran for 23 seasons. An incredibly impressive run time for any TV show.
However, she lost her spot due to her struggles with drug use in 1971. Then, she was able to turn her life around once again through religion. She converted to Christianity and started singing gospel.
She was even inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999. Then she published a memoir in 2019.
She also appeared in a Hee Haw spinoff from 1978 to 1979 titled Hee Haw Honeys.
