The Hager Twins, also known as the Hager Brothers and The Hagers, were a duo of American country music singers and comedians who gained fame on the TV series Hee Haw. They were identical twin brothers James Henry Hager (August 30, 1941 – May 1, 2008) and John William Hager (August 30, 1941 – January 9, 2009).
Biography The brothers were born on August 30, 1941, in Chicago, Illinois, and adopted by Jack and Frances Hager, a Methodist minister and a schoolteacher.
They first sang in the church choir. As teenagers they sang on a Saturday morning WGN-TV series targeting others in their age group. Both brothers served in the United States Army and performed at officers' and non-commissioned officers' clubs in the United States and Europe.
They attended Maine Township High School in Park Ridge (Class of 1959), one year ahead of Harrison Ford and a few years ahead of Hillary Clinton.
After leaving the military, the Hager brothers moved to California and performed at the Ledbetter's Night Club in Los Angeles with The Carpenters, The New Christy Minstrels, John Denver, Steve Martin, and Kenny Rogers. They also worked at Disneyland, where Buck Owens saw them perform and signed them to contracts. The brothers served as opening acts for Owens, Tex Ritter, Wynn Stewart, Billie Jo Spears, and Lefty Frizzell.
They first came to national prominence on the CBS television series Hee Haw, on which both were cast members from 1969 to 1986. In 1979 they appeared on the nationally-syndicated New Soupy Sales Show, singing "Pizza Man."Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:
The Hager brothers signed with Capitol Records in 1969 and hit the country charts with "Gotta Get To Oklahoma ('Cause California's Gettin' To Me)". They also charted Merle Haggard's "Silver Wings", which was the B-Side of Haggard's "Working Man Blues." In all, they recorded seven albums—three for Capitol, two for Elektra-Asylum, one for Barnaby Records, and one for Book Shop Records.
The brothers were featured in the second preview issue of Playgirl, February 1973.
Their TV appearances also include the original The Bionic Woman, in which Jim and Jon played cloned detectives Verm and Dier in the February 11, 1978, episode "Sanctuary Earth."
In 1976, the brothers starred as private detectives opposite Lillian Gish in the TV-movie Twin Detectives.Leonard Maltin, Leonard Maltin's TV movies and Video Guide 1991 Edition, page 1224, Plume, 1990 They also appeared in TV commercials and with Florence Henderson in Country Kitchen on TNN.
The Hager Brothers also contributed to numerous charities.
Jim Hager collapsed in the parking lot of a Nashville coffee shop. He died of an apparent heart attack at a hospital on May 1, 2008, in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 66. Jon Hager died in his sleep on January 9, 2009, also in Nashville, at age 67.
Discography
Albums Year Album Label 1970 The Hagers Capitol Two Hagers Are Better Than One 1971 Motherhood, Apple Pie and the Flag 1972 Music on the Country Side Barnaby 1974 The Hagers Elektra 1986 The Hagers Book Shop International
Singles Year Single Chart Positions Album US Country CAN Country 1969 "Gotta Get to Oklahoma ('Cause California's Gettin' to Me)" - songwriters: Rodney Lay & Buck OwensThe Hagers - Gotta Get To Oklahoma ('Cause California's Gettin' To Me) - YouTube 41 9 The Hagers (1970) 1970 "Loneliness Without You" - songwriters: Shannon Lindell & Jim Hager The Hagers – Loneliness Without You (1970, Vinyl) - Discogs 74 — "Goin' Home to Your Mother" - songwriter: Ted Anderson The Hagers "Goin' Home To Your Mother" - YouTube 50 — "Silver Wings" - songwriter: Merle Haggard"silver wings" the hagers - Bing images 59 — Two Hagers Are Better Than One 1971 "I'm Miles Away" - songwriter: Robert McCoyI'm Miles Away, The Hagers, 1970 - YouTube 47 38 "White Line Fever" - songwriter: Merle Haggard Merle Haggard - White Line Fever - Bing video — — Motherhood, Apple Pie and the Flag 1972 "Ain't No Sunshine" - songwriter: B. Withers The Hagers – Ain't No Sunshine (1972, Vinyl) - Discogs — — Music on the Country Side "The Cost of Love Is Getting Higher" - songwriters: Jim McBride & Roger Murrah"the cost of love is getting higher" the hagers - Bing images — — "I Just Don't Feel at Home" - songwriter: Jim McBride The Hagers - I Just Don't Feel At Home | Releases | Discogs — — 1973 "A Fool Such as I" - songwriter: Bill Trader The Hagers - (Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I | Discogs — — single only 1974 "Love My Life Away" - songwriter: Gene PitneyThe Hagers - Love My Life Away | Releases | Discogs — — The Hagers (1974) "All Your Love" songwriters: Jim Hager & Stan House The Hagers - Cherry Pie / All Your Love | Releases | Discogs — — 1975 "Heartaches by the Number" - songwriter: Harlan HowardThe Hagers – Heartaches By The Number (1975, Vinyl) - Discogs — — singles only "Hot Lips" - songwriter: George Tomsco The Hagers – Hot Lips / Old Fashioned Girl (1974, Vinyl) - Discogs — —
References