"Dukes of Hazzard" Star Tom Wopat

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
All right, let's kick it outhere with a special version of everyone's favorite
theme song sung by the good oldBoys themselves. That's Tom Wopat on that
vocal right there. Never so troublewith Laos. It's a born. What
I love most about this interview opportunityis not just a chance to talk to

(00:23):
Luke Duke of the Dukes of Hazzard, but also it's not one of these
things where like well Tom is talkingabout a new protein shake he has out
and doesn't want to talk about theDukes of Hazard. You're going to be
a Cooter's Place coming up here,and everyone's invited to this event here this
weekend. Tom Wopat, Welcome toeleven ten kfab. Hey, thank you

(00:48):
very much. I know Omaha isjust a little ways away from Laray,
Virginia, but we are going tohave a large time. Yeah, tell
me about this. It's the twentyfifth anniversary cell not of the show,
but of Cooter's Place. What's Cooter'sPlace? Coiter's Place originated twenty five years
ago. Ben Jones, who playedCooter, had a little garage and it

(01:12):
had four garage doors, and hewould go down there in the morning and
open the garage doors and there wasan astortment of T shirts and hats and
you know, little gigas and copsand stuff like that, and people came
and bought it. So they builta bigger store, and then they moved
the bigger store to Laray, Virginia. And then now they have a store

(01:34):
in Nashville out by Oppery Land,and they have a store in Pigeon Forge.
And these stores are not just stores, they're also museums. They have
a bunch of memorabilia from the shows, like the one in Luray has a
bunch of vehicles in the back.They all have a general ly they're so

(01:57):
much fun, we have a greattime, and they've develop the relationship with
the fans where the fans know there'sgoing to be a certain amount of special
events at each of these venues andso it's kind of it's a symbiotic relationship.
What is what is your what's youremotional arc with being associated with this

(02:22):
iconic role because you I talk toa lot of people that say, yeah,
I did this TV show several decadesago. I'm not you know,
I know I'm identified as it,but I'm not. I'm more than Luke
Duke. I don't want to dofan uh selfies and you know pose wearing
my blue jeans and all that.So where are you with this and where
have you been throughout your career withyour association with this show? Hey man,

(02:46):
there's worse things than me and LukeDuke. Let me tell you.
I mean, I wear jeans,and I wear a shirt, and I
wear a cowboy hat and my bootsand I show up ooh, great Blue
Hearings is flying across. Leave focus, Tom, you're on the radio.
I do love me a blue heronthough, And so you'll be out there

(03:07):
with your friend Catherine back Daisy Duke. I could think we can expect Ben
Jones to make us stop by.It's his player. Also, Huey Hogg
will be there, and we alsohave some great musical acts. Confederate Railroad
to be playing, Waye Jennings andhis band. I'll be singing with Cooter's

(03:30):
garage band Cool. So it's goingto be a pretty full weekend. What
memorabilia do you have that you keptfrom your years on the show. Uh,
not really anything. I mean Ihave some nice pictures of me and
John. I had an oil paintingthat on one of the episodes, somebody

(03:51):
we did a favor for in anoil painting of the family, and I
have given that to Alma Ben's Whitebecause she's been just a huge part of
the last ten years for me.I mean, I've been working closely with
them with these venues, and Imake an appearance twice a year at each

(04:11):
of them. I got a Christmasshow in Lay on the twenty first,
or no, the fourteenth of December, and it's like, you know,
I had I gave a lunchbox tomy daughter when she went to Harvard.
She used it as a purse andif anybody gave her a hard time about

(04:32):
having a Dukes of Hazzard lunchbox,she says, Dad, Okay, I
wish I still had my Dukes ofHazard lunchbox. You know, it's it
was such a fun, fun show, and we're so glad to have Luke
Duke himself Tom Wopat with us herefrom Dukes of Hazzard on news radio eleven

(04:53):
ten KFAB. There was some talka year ago that perhaps there might be
some revisitation of Hazzard County. Whereis that right now? With you and
Catherine John being a part of somethinglike this. I'm usually not included in
those conversations. It's just because ittakes a long time to get something off

(05:15):
the ground. You know, Iwouldn't be surprised if they came up with
some iteration. I truly don't wantit to be like the movie that they
did a few years ago with thankYou. I thought that was off the
track by quite a bit. Yeah, from what's the original intentive show with
Yeah. I appreciate you saying that, and I agree. I didn't see

(05:41):
it. I tell people it wouldbe like watching one of my ex wives
go out to dinner. I'll watchedthe first few minutes, I thought,
oh, this is this is notthe family friendly show I grew up with.
Tom, I know you got torun here. We ask our favorite
guests on this program to say aline for us that we feel is the
best thing to hear first thing inthe morning. Now, the line is
good morning, honey, I madeyou pancakes for breakfast. But I'm hoping

(06:04):
that you might give us a goodmorning. Uncle Jesse, I made you
pancakes for breakfast. Okay, ready, yep, born in Uncle Jesse,
I made you pancakes grit and baconand eggs and tags. It's gonna be
good, Tom, It's always beengood man. Thank you very much for

(06:28):
the time this morning, and havefun this weekend in Virginia. I have
no choice. Thank you very much, Tom wopat here on news radio eleven
ten KFAB. You can get moredetails at Cootersplace dot com. Scot for
NewsRadio eleven ten key fad