HazzardNet, Author at HazzardNet

Hazzard Homecoming Made Fans Happy

The dour economy and an iffy weather forecast couldn’t keep Dukes of Hazzard fans away from Sperryville, Virginia. Thousands of fans traveled from around the country and the globe to be a part of Hazzard Homecoming this last weekend. Cast members who attended the event included promoter and organizer Ben Jones, along with James Best, Cathy Bach, John Schneider, Rick Hurst, and Sonny Shroyer. There were also plenty of General Lee’s to admire.

If you didn’t get to go to Hazzard Homecoming, you can get a feel for the event by watching this newscast by WYMT-TV. Reporter Steve Hensley interviewed a few cast members and talked to some fans at the event. One of the fans looks suspiciously like Paul Harrington of the Canadian Dukes. We’re pointing this out just to see if he’s paying attention.

Back to the reporter – Steve is the same reporter who shared the original WYMT video of the Dukes of Hazzard cast appearances in Hazard Kentucky in 1981. We featured this video in our June 5th article. This reporter has been very kind to Dukes fans, so we figure it’s only fair to give him a big salute here on HazzardNet. Steve, you might just be our Fan of the Month for September, at this rate!

At the end of the Hazzard Homecoming newscast, there’s a hint of “more to come” from Dukes cast members during the next Black Gold Festival in Hazard, Kentucky. We don’t know if that means they’re just going to recap the 1981 highlights, or if there’s direct cast involvement in this year’s event. We’ll try to find out!

Dukes Fans Heading to Hazzard Homecoming!

If you don’t have tickets to Hazzard Homecoming, no worries! You can buy them this weekend at the event in Sperryville, Virginia on Route 522. Call around, and you might find a hotel room in the towns of Front Royal, Luray, or Culpeper. Sperryville itself is a sleepy town of 350 souls, so be prepared to drive a little for your bed.

Tips for first-timers: Pack a cooler with plenty of bottled water and snacks. Bring hand sanitizer, bug repellent, and sunscreen. Don’t forget the camera! Bring something to carry around all your Dukes goodies in.

Plan for hot weather and pack some just-in-case rain ponchos. There are no refunds on account of weather conditions.

Admission is $15 for 1 day, $20 for the weekend. Kids 10 and under free, adults over 65 free, active military members with ID, free.

Autograph fees vary by cast member, ranging from $5.00 on up, for stuff you bring. If you buy an item from a cast member, the autograph is usually included. Note, autographs cannot always be personalized and each cast member has their own policy.

A good autograph strategy is to purchase a photo that has more than one cast member on it. For example, Cathy and Sonny will both be there. Sonny usually has a good Enos/Daisy photo. If you buy it from him, he’ll sign it, then you can have Cathy sign it too. Cathy might charge a few bucks for her part, but you’ve got the idea.

Autograph lines for John, Cathy and Jimmy tend to be long. John is only there Sunday, and because of that, his line is probably going to have an extra wait. So plan your Saturday autographs around who you really want to see the most; get in that line first; then get in line for the next person, ect. Cast members do their very best to try and meet everyone. As long as you get there early, and you’re patient, odds are you’ll get to see most everything and everybody. Gates open at 9 am Saturday and 9:30 am Sunday.

Travel safe, and enjoy yourself at Hazzard Homecoming! Share your experiences with us in our Forums or on Facebook!

Congrats to our Fan of the Month!

Every Dukes of Hazzard fan has a story. CDoherty95 joined us in February 2011, and in his own words, he’s been a Dukes fan “as long as he can remember.” His pride and joy was a customized General Lee bicycle that he built himself last summer. Several months later, the bike was stolen while parked at school.

Seeing your hard work and money disappear would be discouraging to anyone. But CDoherty95 didn’t let the loss keep him down. He bought a used bike, stripped it down, and built another General Lee bike, refurbishing, painting, and building it all over again. This shows his great dedication to “The Dukes of Hazzard” as well as his strong personal character in not giving up.

CDoherty95 is also an active participant in our Forums and he’s made good contributions to our community. We’re pleased to recognize him as the August 2011 Fan of the Month! His perseverance in the face of adversity sets a fine example for Dukes fans everywhere. Visit our Forums to congratulate him yourself!

25 Million Dollar Sheriff

Dukes of Hazzard fans may remember an episode called “10 Million Dollar Sheriff” where Rosco inherits money by mistake. Here in the real world, James Best, who played Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, is saying there’s been a mistake, alright, and Warner Bros. made it.

A lawsuit filed by Best against TimeWarner states that he has been shorted his share of royalties from Dukes of Hazzard merchandise. Specifically, merchandise that bears his likeness. Best was entitled to 5% of these proceeds. (is that 50% of 50% of 50%?) The dispute arises from the lack of accounting by Warner Bros; Best has received $175,000 in the past 30 years from merchandise sales – but he reckons he should have received 5 to 25 million.

Doing the math roughly, Warner is saying it made 3.5 million from Dukes merchandise with Best’s likeness – while Best is saying they probably made more like…a billion.

Best’s claim also includes a share of merchandise revenue from any Dukes product with Flash on it. Adding the dog to the show was his idea and he held 50% ownership of the pooch.

We took a quick look at what we could find with Sheriff Rosco’s likeness, and came up with the following: packaging for Mego action figures, back cover cases for Columbia House VHS tapes, the front artwork for The Dukes of Hazzard music CD, and DVD box back covers for Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 7. There were also a number of metal TV trays, wastebaskets, and…heck, we can’t count all the stuff Warner Bros authorized back in the day with Rosco on it.

But Warner Bros is going to have to count it, and disclose it, to settle this lawsuit. Best claims he made numerous efforts over the years to obtain fair accounting, without success.

Tom Wopat and John Schneider sued Warner Bros over merchandising revenue during the 5th season of the show. The dispute resulted in a temporary walkout by the two actors and the introduction of temporary replacement stars, Byron Cherry and Christopher Mayer. It was eventually resolved to Wopat and Schneider’s satisfaction, and the replacements were given the heave-ho without fanfare.

We will keep you posted as this story continues. Who knows…maybe ol’ Rosco will get his “pension” here, after all! And what a pension it could be.

Christopher Mayer, “Vance Duke” Reported Dead

Christopher Mayer, who portrayed “Vance Duke” on The Dukes of Hazzard during the strike of Tom Wopat and John Schneider, has been reported dead. The sudden passing of the 57-year old actor is being reported by entertainment media sources, as per the disclosure of his fiancee, Catherine Irvine.

Mayer died unexpectedly on Saturday July 23. The cause has not been released. Mayer was actively working on a new film project at the time. We will share further details as we receive them.

Dukes of Hazzard fans everywhere are expressing heartfelt condolences to Mayer’s family and loved ones. Vance Duke, you were taken away from us too soon.

*UPDATE* Byron Cherry, who played Coy Duke, has made reference to Mayer’s passing in a recent Facebook update. While the Facebook page is private, a copy of the entry has been provided to us:

“I’m so sad to say that my best friend, buddy, pal Chris Mayer “Vance Duke” passed away suddenly. He was so special to me and my kids and family. He will be so missed and I pray that we all just remember him for all that he did to put a smile on our face. He was just 01 great guy and I’m just so thankful that I knew him at all. He taught me so much about life and Jesus and how to live life. It will be hard knowing I can’t just pick up the phone and call him for a good laugh and inspiration. We will meet again.”

Well said, Byron.