While almost all of the segments on Hee Haw were corny comedy, there were a few moments through the years that were very sad.
- The most notable was in early 1978, when Vernon Presley (father of Elvis Presley) made a guest appearance on the show, paying tribute to his late son. The elder Presley noted how much Elvis was a fan of Hee Haw and its stars, and that Elvis had wanted to be a guest performer on one of the shows, likely to perform many of the country songs that he listened to as a child and to participate in the skits. The moment was very poignant, as the cast somberly reflected on the departed Elvis. Several were visibly emotional, and in fact Elvis had dated at least two of the Hee Haw Honeys late in his life. Aside from the regular "Hee Haw Gospel Quartet" segment (which always ended without applause), it was one of the few Fade to Black segments in the entire series's history.
- Heartfelt tributes were also paid to other beloved cast members who had died during the series's run, most notably Stringbean (David Akeman, a banjo player who, along with his wife, were brutally murdered in 1973) and Junior Samples, the simpleton comedian who died of a heart attack in 1983. As with Elvis, their tributes were also placed before a commercial and ended on a Fade to Black.
