When it comes to classic TV comedies, Three’s Company, which aired from the late ’70s to early ’80s, is near the top of our list. And Joyce DeWitt as Janet Wood is one of our all-time favorites.
The 74-year-old actress has had a successful stage career for decades, but she’s also made occasional appearances on screen—including a recent performance near and dear to her heart. In a new country music video with the Davisson Brothers Band, the actress took the opportunity to honor her West Virginia roots.
Featuring the song “Home” from the album Home Is Where the Heart Is, the video debuted today, June 20, on West Virginia Day. And while the song is specifically about the state, it also speaks to a feeling many of us can relate to: the ever-present urge to return to where we grew up, no matter how far away we go.
“A deep part of my heart is tied to my childhood years in West Virginia,” DeWitt says. “I still have a pretty large family there, and going back to visit is really therapeutic, both physically and mentally.”
In the video (below), we see her emotional reaction to hearing the song for the first time, an experience she describes as “pure joy.”
“We intentionally didn’t let Joyce hear the track until we started shooting, we told her to just listen and improvise, all the emotions were real,” says lead guitarist Chris Davisson. “The song really touched her, and you can see that in her work.”
Shots of DeWitt are interspersed with shots of the two young friends talking about their Hollywood dreams on a country playground (repeating the lyrics “We dream of city life / Far from the old place”).
We also see the band, which originated in Clarksburg, West Virginia, perform the song and get behind-the-scenes glimpses of their life on the road. And of course, there are plenty of shots of the beautiful West Virginia countryside.
If you look closely, you can also see how much DeWitt has accomplished since leaving home to pursue her career. In one scene where she reminisces about old family photos, there’s a throwback photo of the actress with her Three’s Company co-stars Suzanne Somers and the late John Ritter, and another of her with the late comedian John Candy.
“Home” is one of 12 tracks on the album Home Is Where the Heart Is, released this April by the Davisson Brothers Band, which includes Chris and Donnie Davisson, their nephew Gerrod Bee, and close family friend Aaron Regester. The album also features Tim O’Brien, Rob McCoury, Stewart Duncan, Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman, Ronnie Bowman, Kyle Tuttle, and Lindsay Lou.
