Some of the big guitar names clearly respected Roy Clark’s playing a lot, especially for his speed, taste, and showmanship. Even when the praise was sometimes passed around in interviews and retrospectives rather than in one famous quote, the consistent message is that Clark was seen as a serious virtuoso, not just a TV entertainer.

What they seemed to admire

  • Technique. Clark had the kind of clean, fast picking that other players notice immediately. Coverage of his work emphasizes his virtuosity and the way he could move between genres with ease.
  • Musical range. He was not boxed into one style; he mixed country, jazz, pop, and acoustic flash in a way that impressed musicians who value flexibility.
  • Humor and feel. People who played at a high level often respected that he could be both flashy and musical without sounding mechanical.

The broader musician view

Roy Clark was often remembered by fellow legends as a “guitar virtuoso” and a major country music figure, which tells you how he was viewed inside the musician community. Guitar-focused writing also describes his playing as a wonder and highlights his collaborations and TV appearances as proof that he could hold his own with top-tier players.

About the famous-name claims

You may see claims online that Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen praised Clark directly, but those quotes are often repeated without solid sourcing. A safer way to put it is that Clark was widely admired by guitar players across generations, even if some internet-attributed praise is hard to verify.

Bottom line

The short version: the guitar greats generally seemed to think Roy Clark was the real deal — a player with elite chops, broad musicality, and enough personality to make virtuosity feel effortless. His reputation wasn’t just “good for country”; it was “good, period.”

TL;DR: Roy Clark was respected by serious guitar players as a genuinely exceptional guitarist, not just a television personality.