Lulu Roman, 1946-2025

by Paula Bosse

In a Dallas courtroom, 1971

by Paula Bosse

Lulu Roman — known for her appearances on the TV show Hee Haw and her numerous gospel recordings — died last week (on April 23, 2025). She was a Dallas native and a graduate of Samuell High School. A summary of her life and career can be found in the Hollywood Reporter obituary and her Wikipedia entry.

She graduated from W. W. Samuell High School in 1964 (her name back then was Louise Hable), and five years later, she became an original member of the cast of Hee Haw. In 1971, her Oak Lawn apartment (2627 Douglas) was raided by seven narcotics agents, who seized 5.5 pounds of marijuana and small amounts of LSD and hashish. She was booked for drug possession, and this effectively ended her connection with Hee Haw (she later found religion, gave up drugs, and was welcomed back to the show when she was clean — you can see her talk about her new-found “high” to a Channel 8 reporter in 1973 on YouTube here). (The photo at the top is from one of Lulu’s appearances in court in 1971.)

She then went on to a successful career as a gospel singer. RIP, Lulu.

1963 Samuell yearbook, Junior class photo

Performing a “Calypso Christmas carol”:

1963 Samuell yearbook

1964 Samuell yearbook, Senior class photo

With classmate David Henderson, in costume for a theatrical production.

1964 Samuell yearbook

Detail of a photo of members of the Thespians Club:

1964 Samuell yearbook

Hitting the big-time, on Hee Haw:

***

Sources & Notes

Top image is a screenshot from Channel 8 news footage of Lulu’s drug possession trial in Dallas on Sept. 3, 1971, from the WFAA Collection, G. William Jones Collection, Hamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist University.

School photos from the 1963 and 1964 Samuell High School yearbooks.

Color photo of some of the Hee Haw cast members (Gordie Tapp, Junior Samples, Grandpa Jones, and Lulu Roman), from The Tennessean; black-and-white photo from Alamy.

Flashback : Dallas