BUDDY EBSEN STILL OWNS `JED CLAMPETT'S' HAT

BUDDY EBSEN STILL OWNS `JED CLAMPETT'S' HAT

NEW YORK (Wireless Flash) -- Weeeee, doggie! It looks like former "Beverly Hillbillies" star Buddy Ebsen isn't letting go of his alter ego, Jed Clampett. The 91-year-old actor admits he still owns the bedraggled old hat he sported on the 1960s sitcom and keeps the treasured memento tucked away in a safe. Ebsen is also going back to his "Beverly Hillbillies" roots by painting a series of "folk art" paintings he refers to as "The Further Adventures of Jed Clampett." The oil paintings depict Jed hanging out on the farm with his hound dog, floating in a boat on the bayou, and even milking cows. Ebsen claims his painting project is the secret to his longevity because, in his words, "you gotta use it or you lose it." You'll be able to see plenty of Buddy later this month when TV Land kicks off a week-long "Beverly Hillbillies "marathon starting January 24.