The Smother's Brothers Show from the 1960's was blessed with an abundance of comedic and musical talent with Steve Martin, Mason Williams (Composer of "Classical Gas") and Jim Stafford.

I watched this episode of Johnny Carson and video taped Jim playing this song to learn it. I never get tired of watching and listening to this song. Awesome guitar player. Now 73 yrs old and still performing.

I'm 58 years old, and I had completely forgotten about Jim Stafford. I am glad I accidently happened to click on him today on youtube. Absolutely an entertaining and funny man.

OMFG!! That is completely mind-blowing! That is talent of a magnitude that few people in all history have had. Wow!

I remember his summer show in the 70's and loved his work on guitar the best. He is a true guitar wizard and could have become a superstar.

That was the *fiercest* version of Classical Gas I've ever seen!

An amazing talent....met him years ago and he was one of the nicest guys I ever met.

I'm amazed. What a player. He's one with that guitar. Some people are just born to shine

It's as if Dick Dale has a few Monster drinks and decided to tackle Classical Gas. Amazing performance, Mr. Stafford~!

I saw this the night it aired. I have never forgotten it and can't believe it's here. Thank you!!!

Jim was always something special. I wouldn't hesitate to see him play if he was near by.

One of the best guitarists in the business..he doesn't get the credit he deserves because he made many of his routines funny too

I've been playing guitar for almost 20 years, and you non-players have NO idea how hard that was for him to play that!

Holy shit I Iove Jim Stafford! My Dad introduced me to some amazing music. I loved looking at Staffords album in my Dad's collection.

Every time this clip is posted, i always remark I'm shocked his acoustic guitar doesn’t burst into flames.

thank you so much for reminding me how AWESOME Jim Stafford was!!!!

I love Classical Gas and Jim Stafford wa awesome.

Well I never knew that Jim Stafford could play guitar this good! All I remember him singing was "I don't like spiders and snakes" and the Wild Wood Weed...... "Take a trip and never leave the farm, and he burned and he dug and then he drove away!"😀

UNBELIEVABLE. WHAT A TALENT!!!!

I love Johnny's face at :25. He thinks that was a screw-up, but I think Jimmy was messin' with his head!

Never heard him in the UK , from back then,,!

Yes he was a great comedian and he played it out on a guitar. His verbal wit was almost secondary, but his songs were legendary! Thank You Jim Stafford! RIP!

Wow, I never knew Jim Stafford was such a virtuoso! Incredible! It didn't sound like all of that was coming from him.

I lived on johnny carson and remember jim stafford well, man he can tear it up

And Jim Stafford was primarily a comedian! Damn good. Plays the orchestras part, then a little Flight of the Bumble Bee, then back again

HOLY CRAP that was AMAZING!!!

unbelievable...he's now on my list of favourite guitar players....

i saw him in branson missouri two years ago and him and his family are fantastic to see. what a great show

One of the greats

My face instantly smiles through this whole thing, wonderful

wow Jim was young here..great clip..he and Ray Stevens are the funniest talented guys ever

Him and Jerry Reed was TOPS

God I STILL miss Johnny Carson!

Jim was and is still great

One of the most underrated guitarists of all time. Take that Eddie Van Halen! (who was still a youngster when this was recorded, btw) LOLOL

When you can combine Classical Gas with The Flight of the Bumblebee, you're incredible!

this guy is really good. a friend of mine named roger Hoard played and toured with him in the 70's. Roger was considered one of the top 100 players in the country in guitar player magazine a few years ago. i wonder where he learned some of that stuff?

𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒅!!!

HELL yeah, love him making it his own here even if he is being silly 😂this dude definitely taught Eddie V what he knows😄

Coincidentally, "Classical Gas" was written by Mason Williams when he was a writer for The Tonight Show.

saw jim stafford last year and plan going to see him again this year in branson missouri and cant wait what a show

Love Stafford!!

SHREDDING, BIG TIME!!!

That was CLASSICAL, Classical Gas. Whoever posted this....Thank you. I remember seeing that show very well. Guess that kinda tells ya how old I am. Either way. That was when all of TV was classical.

Awww Johnny... So much class... he had GREAT guitarists on here.... John Williams, Parkening, John McLaughlin, etc etc

jaw dropping awesomeness

That's some great guitar playing!

i remember i saw this when i was a lil kid and i never knew who it was now i do(:

I don't like spiders and snakes, but damn Stafford can play that guitar!!!

He is soon insanely fabulous !!!!! WOWOWOWOWOWOW !

Oh hell who can't do that ?!?!?!!! That was amazing thanks for sharing♡

one word...damn he is good...

Classical gas AND bumblebee? I had such a crush on him.

If Jim is still around I do apologize for the earlier post. Jim...Live long and Prosper!

Jim Stafford and Roy Clark are 2 of the best worldly, and some would disagree at guitar playing. Now whenever "The greats are lauded for their skills C&W guitaresses?are rarely if at all given ANY mention.

Fantastic!!!!!!!!! I am surprised that he guitar did not fly apart.

roy clark, jim stafford & chet atkins are 3 of THEE best guitarists in history! believe it or not but charo, miss "hoochie coochie" herself is also a guitar virtuoso!

Holy shit... Respect

I saw this as it happened on the Tonight Show and being a brother of a player I know about the practice, practice .practice this teleported Jim Stafford to the top of my guitar player's list where he remains with the company of great talents such as Shawn Phillips, Robin Trower, the late Dickey Betts, and of course my brother Robin Gibson! (shameless plug) If you're in the Portland Ore., area look for him and his band at a pud near you which you can occasionally can find him

‘I don’t like spiders and snakes, and that ain’t what it takes to love me, like I wanna be loved by you..’

Holy cow. No idea of this man's talent!

Every time I watch this video, Iocked his guitar doesn't spontaneously burst into flame.

I think most of us looked at him with wonder...when he wasn't making us laugh he was dazzling us with that guitar or a fiddle

Remember, Stafford,hill, Sheridan, Indiana

Even to play bad perfectly one must be absolutely outstanding.

absolutely true. I remember him, but rediscovered him the other day. The Nashville Now with Moe Bandy is hilarious. Its amazing how you might write him of as a guy that knows 3 chords if you only listened to his hits.

remember how comedians used to be worthy of our time and money?

That was bad ass

Scary...but in a good way...Stafford rocks it!

Simply fantastic!

C est monstrueux

As a kid i loved his variety show. I knew talent when I saw it.

Someone needs to crack open the Mason jar that has all of Johnny's shows in it and let them out. I would love to see those again.

A bit of,"flight of the bumblebee" in the mix as well

pure gift

I can see smoke coming out of that guitar!

I'd swear that I saw smoke...

Johnny! That's classic!

Sheesh, who'd have thought that a "Novelty song singer" could play guitar on the same level as Jerry Reed? Impressive.

What A GAS!!

Arturo Valdez Guitar from Valdez Guitar Shop, Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles Thought you might want to know!

DAMN!!!!! I didn't know he could do that.

@sunsungoaway AMEN. You don't know what you ave until it's gone.

Incredible!

Great player. He played lead guitar in Gram Parsons first band when they were kids in Florids

just awesome

doc just smiled and waved...sittin there on that sack o' seeds

watch it again, he hybrid picks it with his middle finger. i watched him on another tonight show airing pull off chet atkins' "yankee doodle dixie". wish someone would post it

GREAT stuff. What a player for sure !

I wondered why he wasn't hailed as a guitar God. He was truly a humble guy. When he met Bobbie Gentry and she found out what he was making in royalties etc. she told him dump those clowns. They married but it didn't last.

It's a wonder that the guitar did not burst into flames after that!

come on this is jaw dropping Eddie who

I play this song like Mason Williams does...by fingerpicking. Jim Stafford is doing it with a flatpick. I don't know how he did it.

Amazing!

Jim Stafford has been headlining in Branson MO since 1990(approx). In his own theatre.

Fun Fact: This performance is so amazing that it actually erased the movie "Riding with Death" from Jim Stafford's resume.

holy fuck. I have always been a Jim Stafford fan but did not see this one. I was probably drunk or high.. shit.... he's an amazing dude.

This man's fingers can probably pierce diamonds

@rowdymax1: Mason Williams may have wrote the song, but he did not play it like that. Mason Williams had an Orchestral section to play other parts of the song. Jim Stafford incorporated all of those other instruments in with the guitar. You are trippin!

Sweet,never knew old Jim did this