‘Beverly Hillbillies’ creator Paul Henning dies at 93

Burbank, Calif.– Paul Henning, who created the hit TV show “The Beverly Hillbillies” and wrote its theme song, died Friday at the age of 93.

Henning, who lived in Toluca Lake, died in a Burbank hospital of natural causes. He had been sick for some time, his daughter Carol said.

Henning created “The Beverly Hillbillies,” which debuted in 1962, based on his encounters with residents of the Ozarks during camping trips as a youth, his daughter said.

The CBS series starring Buddy Ebsen as Clampett patriarch Jed drew up to 60 million viewers at its peak and ran until 1971.

Henning also wrote the words and music to “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,” which was sung by Jerry Scoggins while Nashville bluegrass stars Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs played guitar and banjo.

In 1963, Henning created “Petticoat Junction,” a “Hillbillies” spinoff.

Henning was born Sept. 16, 1911, on a Missouri farm and grew up in Independence. As a teenager, he worked behind the soda fountain at Brown’s Drugstore, where he met Harry Truman, who advised the young boy to become a lawyer, his daughter said.

He graduated from Kansas City School of Law but soon went to work writing for radio. He wrote for “Fibber McGee and Molly” and “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,” among others.

While Henning is sometimes credited with creating the TV show “Green Acres,” his daughter said Henning helped the show’s creator Jay Sommers cast the show and served as its executive producer.

Lead astray

Gretna, La.– The lawyer for rapper C-Murder, who angered authorities by recording parts of his upcoming music video and compact disc behind bars, has agreed to take only a pencil into jailhouse meetings.

The rapper, whose real name is Corey Miller, has been inside the Jefferson Parish jail for more than three years on a second-degree murder charge in the killing of a 16-year-old inside a nightclub.

During that time, a music video for his new album’s single showed Miller in an orange prison outfit in jail complaining that he and other poor blacks must endure racial profiling.

Ron Rakosky, Miller’s attorney, was barred from bringing anything but a pencil and pad into jail. Rakosky objected, saying Sheriff Harry Lee was “illegally intruding on the right of counsel” by barring documents related to Miller’s criminal defense.

Under a March 16 agreement, Rakosky can bring legal documents into the jail, but he can only use a pencil. Lee’s attorney said pens were barred because they are hollow and can be used to carry song lyrics.

Russell still rocking

New York — Russell Crowe’s band is no more, but the Oscar-winning actor is still rocking.

Crowe announced his band, Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts, “would seem to have dissolved/evolved.” In a posting on the group’s Web site, Crowe said a new album was forthcoming but with a new lineup.

“While that holds certain disappointments, they pale in comparison to the joy of writing unrestricted, of talking from my heart and mind simultaneously about things that are important to me right now … as a 41-year-old father/husband/lover/man,” Crowe writes.

Erin off ‘Apprentice’

New York — After Erin Elmore dissed Donald Trump’s advisers on the latest episode of NBC’s “The Apprentice,” Trump gave the sassy lawyer the kiss-off.

“All I was doing was appealing to Mr. Trump’s independent decision-making ability,” Elmore told The Associated Press on Friday. “It’s his name on the line. He makes decisions by himself all day long. He’s a big boy.”

In the episode, competing teams were asked to create Home Depot how-to clinics. Elmore, the ninth candidate fired this season, was upfront about her lack of home improvement skills, but it was a passing boardroom quip that really fired up Trump.

“I gotta listen to them,” Trump said of his trusty advisers George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher.

“You have to?” Elmore said with a smile and a wink.

Kepcher called the comment “dumb,” while Trump called Elmore “a real wise guy.”

Zach Braff back to direct

New York — “Scrubs” star Zach Braff is returning to the director’s chair.

Braff, who wrote and directed “Garden State” last year, will direct the latest video from singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw.

“Zach and I met at one of my shows, and I was so flattered to hear he was a fan of my music,” DeGraw said in a statement Friday.

Braff already knows a thing or two about music. He earned a Grammy in February as the compilation producer for the “Garden State” soundtrack.

“I have been a fan of Gavin’s music for a while, and I think he is an amazing talent,” Braff said.