Bob Newhart spent decades delighting audiences with his wit and humor on screens of all sizes. The comedian and actor died on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at the age of 94.

As a result, clips of his funniest moments have been surfacing online with one in particular that will catch the eye of country music fans.

An old video from a 1974 episode of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson finds Newhart giving his opinion on country music. While his words are not flattering of the genre, they are funny to those who get his sense of humor and anyone who embraces the stereotypes of country music.

“The country and Western songs — and I’m gonna offend a lot of people, but I must say it — I think it’s one song,” he explains in a clip, as seen below.

“They change the title, but it’s the same song,” Newhart continues. “The dog died and the wife left, and I’m so lonely, and yeah!”

He and Carson joke that there are certain words and phrases that have to be included in order to have a hit on country music charts.

“So if you said, ‘Had a cup of coffee, railroad track going by the prison farm,’ you got a hit,” the host quips.

How Did Bob Newhart Die?

Newhart’s death was confirmed by his publicist, Jerry Digney, who said he died on Thursday, July 18 in Los Angeles. He had suffered a series of brief illnesses prior to his death. He was 94 years old.

In addition to his success in the 1970s and 1980s, Newhart was introduced to a younger audience with his role at Papa Elf in the 2003 movie Elf — one of his favorite roles, he once said — as well as his guest-starring role on the long-running sitcom the Big Bang Theory. He won an Emmy for the latter.

Jess hosts the syndicated radio show, Taste of Country Weekend, which can be heard on country stations nationwide. Tune in for all of the best new country music, spotlights on new tracks and emerging artists, plus Double-Downs on all of your favorites. The weekend is always better with a little Taste of Country in it.