Roy Acuff

Roy Acuff

September 15, 1903 (121 years old) in Maynardville, Tennessee, USA

From Wikipedia Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music," Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful. In 1952 Hank Williams told Ralph Gleason, "He's the biggest singer this music ever knew. You booked him and you didn't worry about crowds. For drawing power in the South, it was Roy Acuff, then God." Acuff began his music career in the 1930s, and gained regional fame as the singer and fiddler for his group, the Smoky Mountain Boys. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938, and although his popularity as a musician waned in the late 1940s, he remained one of the Opry's key figures and promoters for nearly four decades. In 1942, Acuff co-founded the first major Nashville-based country music publishing company—Acuff-Rose Music—which signed acts such as Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and The Everly Brothers. In 1962, Acuff became the first living inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Known For

Hee Haw Hee Haw
The Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Coal Miner's Daughter Coal Miner's Daughter
The Johnny Cash Show The Johnny Cash Show

Credits