Did Lulu Roman have children? All about the comedian’s family as she dies at 78

Comedian and Gospel singer Lulu Roman, famous for appearing in the country variety show Hee Haw, passed away on April 23. The 78-year-old's son, Damon Roman, told The Hollywood Reporter that she came to his home in Bellingham, Washington, seven months ago to live with him. The cause of death is not known yet.

According to Times Now's report dated April 25, Lulu Roman, whose real name is Bertha Louise Hable, married Gary M. Toman on July 2, 1975. They divorced on February 28, 1978. Then she married Woody Smith on February 14, 1988. They separated on September 6, 1991. Roman had two sons, Damon Eric and Justin Collin.

Roman's son Justin passed away in October 2017 from a heart attack. The 41-year-old was the owner of the Nashville-based food truck Bacon Nation.

---

Lulu Roman on how she got selected for the show, Hee Haw

Lulu Roman with her Hee Haw co-star Junior Samples. (Image via Facebook/@Lulu Roman)

According to the Daily Mail, Roman shared in the 2024 interview on The 700 Show how she got to be on Hee Haw. She was on the hit television show for 150 episodes between 1969 and 1992. She stated that country musician and host of Hee Haw, Buck Owens, discovered her and told her she would be famous.

"He said, 'One of these days you're going to be a big star, and I'm going to have something to do with it.' I says, 'Keep talking, cowboy. Go on, baby, talk to me.' Roman said.

Roman stated that when the CBS country variety show was conceptualized in the 1960s, they decided to have a varied cast. Buck Owens then recommended her for the "fat, dumb woman" role.

"So when they put together the HEE HAW show, there were a couple of fellows from Canada, and they had seen Laugh-in, and they thought, 'This could be a good thing. We could do country music in this and do real well.' So they made a list- one gorgeous blonde and one gorgeous brunette; one girl next door-type and one boy next door-type; one fat, dumb man and one fat, dumb woman," Roman added.

The Hee Haw star then shared that they flew her from Dallas to Hollywood, California, so that she could audition for the role. Roman said that when she arrived at the CBS television studios, the first person she came across was Carol Burnett.

For the unversed, Carol Burnett is a comedian, actress, and singer. The 91-year-old has won multiple awards, including Golden Globe Awards, a Grammy Award, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, and a Tony Award.

"Buck said, 'I got your girl. She's in Dallas!'... They put me on a big jet plane, and they flew me to Hollywood, Calif. Took me to CBS television studios. The first person I saw was Carol Burnett. I'll never forget as long as I live. She met us in the hall and said, 'Shut your mouth, child. You're fixin' to be one of us,'" she said.

---

Lulu Roman is survived by her son, Damon Roman.