812-Lancaatar Farming, Saturday, Novambar 20,1993
Connie and her two doge under a tree on the Claycomb farm.
Connie Rose Combines
Farm Life With Singing
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD (Bedford Co.)
Not all of Connie Claycomb’s
days have been sunny, but she’s
always found something to sing
about.
Known throughout Bedford
County and much of Pennsylvania
as Connie Rose, the female singer
in the John Topper Band, Connie
grew up singing.
Her parents were Jim and Jane
Claar better known as “Jim and
Jane and their Western Vaga
bonds”. They were the forerun
ners of country music, rubbing
elbows with such stars as Gene
Autry or Roy Rogers, brightening
up the lives of country folks
everywhere with their morning
radio show.
Jim and Jane grew up together,
singing. And, when eventually
they joined hands in both show
business and matrimony, along
came Connie Rose. The little
blond girl immediately joined her
parents in their show business
ventures. “I didn’t know any other
life,” she said. “I never lived one
place more than two years. But, I
was never afraid of a microphone.
It was a wonderful life.”
But, those days of wine and
roses also had their down sides.
Somewhere hi her travels, Connie
picked up the polio virus, only a
few years prior to the Salk preven
tion. It was a traumatic time for
the Claars, which now included
sister Audry and brother Ricky.
Connie eventually recovered,
but the disease left her with a para
lyzed leg which would forever
require a brace.
Today, Connie notices the
effects of that tragic disease more
and more. “Everyone loses muscle
elasticity as they age,” she com
ments. “But, a leg damaged by
polio loses it much faster.”
Eventually, Connie married one
of the Vagabonds, Buzzy Brant,
and (he two continued to enjoy
show business. But, the marriage
was not destined for longevity.
Buzzy was killed in a truck acci
dent while Connie was pregnant
with her first child.
“It wasn’t easy,” she remem
bers. “For awhile, I quit singing
and pretty much stayed to
myself,”
A sunny disposition isn’t des
tined to stay down long and, Con
nie soon met and married Fred
Claycomb.
Fred was not a musician,
instead, farming had been his life
long dream and Connie was will
ing to help him achieve it. The
couple bought a farm near Bed
ford and soon. Connie had two
more children, making a total of
three in less than five years.
“I didn’t stop singing
altogether,” she remembers. “I
couldn’t I still sang in the Luthe
ran church choir and two of my
old friends and I formed a trio. We
sang at weddings and for other
social occasions. It was an outlet”
The Claycombs still live on the
farm although they lost some
acreage recently to the new Bed
ford airport. Including leased
ground, they farm about 600 acres
and raise a mixed beef and dairy
herd of 100 head.
“I could never do a lot of work
on the farm because of my leg,”
Connie says. “But, I’ve always
Connie Rom Claycomb, a Bedford County farm wife,
performing with the John Topper Band at Old Bedfoid
Village.
enjoyed being a farm wife. I like
to keep house, cook, can, and have
vegetable and flower gardens.
Really, I never expected to sing
professionally again.”
It was John Topper, a local high
school history teacher who also
had a love for country singing,
who gave her other ideas. He had
started a band and was making a
recording when he realized he was
missing from female harmony.
Remembering Connie from an
early local TV show that the
“Western Vagabonds,” had done
on a weekly basis, he gave her a
call.
“Fred was all for it,” Connie
remembers. “He had always loved
my singing and thought it was
time for me to get back into it. So.
I agreed. It was about that time
that one of John’s band members
had asked for a leave of absence. I
was to fill in for a year. That was
(Turn to Pag* B 15)
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BHM Farm
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RDI, Rte. 934
717-867-2211
Carlisle. PA
R&W Equipment Co.
35 East Willow Street
717-243-2686
DavMabura. PA
George N. Gross, Inc.
R.O. 2, Dover, PA
717-292-1673
HhabaMitown. PA
Messick Farm
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Rt. 283 - Rheem's Exit
717-367-1319
Halifax. PA
Sweigard Bros.
R.D. 3, Box 13
717-896-3414
Hoiwv Brook. PA
Dependable Motor Co.
East Main Street
215-273-3131
215-273-3737
Honey Grove. PA
Norman D. Clark
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717-734-3682
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717-789-3117
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301-662-4197
Outside MD,
800-331-9122
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Bridgeton. NJ
Leslie G. Fogg, Inc.
Canton & Stow Creek
Landing Rd.
609-451-2727
609-935-5145
Wooditown. NJ
Owen Supply Co.
Broad Street &
East Avenue
609-769-0308
Huahesvllle. PA
Farnsworth Farm
Supplies, Inc.
103 Cemetery Street
717-584-2106
New Holland. PA
A.B.C. Groff, Inc.
110 South Railroad
717-354-4191
0»W. PA
C.J. Wonsidler Bros.
R.D. 2
215-987-6257
Pitman, pa
Scfireffler Equipment
Pitman, PA
717-648-1120
Quakaitown. PA
C.J. Wonsidler Bros.
R.D. 1
215-536-1935
Tameaua. PA
Charles S. Snyder, Inc.
R.D. 3
717-386-5945
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S.G. Lewis & Son, Inc.
R.D. 2, Box 66
215-869-2214
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Smith Tractor &
Equip., Inc.
15 Hillcrest Ave
201-689-7900