Celebrity Speed Trap

Boss' Celebrity Speed Trap started in season 2, although it wasn't called by that name until it caught Dottie West in season 3. The basic idea was that Boss would find out when a famous country singer/group was passing through Hazzard, and order Rosco to lower a speed limit on their route, sometimes employing a trick sign to catch them speeding. Boss then offered to tear up the ticket or stop them going to jail if the singer/group performed at the Boar's Nest. The performances were usually free, although Boss charged $5/glass for beer and $2 for pretzels or popcorn (except in the case of Roy Orbison, when the beer was free, but the glasses cost $10).

The first couple of times that the scheme was used, the singers appeared in the middle of the episode, but later victims simply appeared in a tacked-on section at the end, possibly because the episode came in a little short. The Oak Ridge Boys were the only act who got caught twice.

Acts And Their Songs

• The Oak Ridge Boys sang Old Time Lovin' in Granny Annie
• Tammy Wynette sang Rocky Top in The Hazzardville Horror
• Hoyt Axton sang Speed-Trap in Good Neighbors, Duke

• 
  The Oak Ridge Boys
• 
  Tammy Wynette
• 
  Hoyt Axton

• The Oak Ridge Boys sang Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight in State of the County
• Dottie West sang Even if you Were Jesse James in By-Line, Daisy Duke
• Freddy Fender sang Jambalaya in Bye, Bye Boss

• 
  The Oak Ridge Boys
• 
  Dottie West
• 
  Freddy Fender

• Roy Orbison sang Pretty Woman in The Great Hazzard Hijack
• Donna Fargo sang Lonestar Cowboy in Double Dukes
• Johnny Paycheck sang Take This Job and Shove It in The Fugitive

• 
  Roy Orbison
  (with Daisy)
• 
  Donna Fargo
• 
  Johnny Paycheck

• Buck Owens sang I've Got a Tiger by the Tail in Hughie Hogg Strikes Again
• Mickey Gilley sang Don't The Girls Get Prettier At Closing Time in The Sound of Music - Hazzard Style
• Mel Tillis sang Stay A Little Longer in The Hazzardgate Tape

• 
  Buck Owens
• 
  Mickey Gilley
• 
  Mel Tillis

Other Country Stars

Not all the country singers who appeared on Dukes got there through the Celebrity Speed Trap, and not all got to sing. The first country singer on the show was Stella Parton, younger sister of Dolly, who played phony police officer Mary Beth Malone in Deputy Dukes. Mel Tillis' first appearance was also a purely acting role as Burl Tolliver in The Rustlers.

Loretta Lynn did get to sing at the Boar's Nest (she sang Y'all Come), but the whole story of Find Loretta Lynn was built around her.

In The Sound of Music - Hazzard Style, Mickey Gilley played himself as he gave a concert in Hazzard. The storyline then revolved around Boss and his latest criminal associates trying to sell pirated copies of the concert recording. When Boss' plans fell through, he decided to recoup some of his losses by catching Mickey in his speed trap. In a break from the norm, Mickey gave his speed trap performance outside Boss' bank.

Janie Fricke also had a straight acting part as Ginny, one of the robbers, in Happy Birthday, General Lee.

The final country star to show up in Hazzard during the regular series was Waylon Jennings. Waylon appeared as himself in Welcome, Waylon Jennings - another episode centered around the star.

In the TV movie The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood, Anita Cochran played singer Anita Blackwood - to date, her only acting credit.

Last, but not least, several country singers besides Waylon appeared unseen as the Balladeer.

Not To Be

In his book, Redneck Boy In The Promised Land, Ben Jones recalled that he once shared a flight to Los Angeles with the "Godfather of Soul", James Brown. James said that he was a big fan of the show and would love to appear on it. It would have been a logical move since James was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Ben told the cast, who liked the idea, and then approached Paul Picard. A couple of weeks later Ben was told that the network had said "no".