ABSTRACT
ACUFF, ROY (b. Maynardville, Tenn., September 15, 1903; d. Nashville, Tenn., November 23, 1992) One of the most important and influential members
of THE GRAND OLE OPRY, as well as a country music performer and businessman, Acuff helped pave the way for the transformation of old-time country music into modern pop-styled country. In addition to his success as a country singer, Acuff left a lasting mark as a business executive. The son of a middle-class farmer who was also the
town’s postmaster and, on Sundays, a Baptist preacher, Acuff originally hoped to be a professional ballplayer. A case of severe sunstroke left him bedridden for two years, during which time he took up the FIDDLE. His first band, The Crazy Tennesseans, formed in the early 1930s, performed on Knoxville radio. In 1936 they were signed by ARC, for which they recorded their first hit, “The Great Speckled Bird,” as well as Acuff’s biggest hit, “The Wabash Cannonball.” He made his first appearance on The Grand Ole Opry in 1938. At this time Acuff, at the suggestion of Opry man-
agement, changed the name of his backup band to The Smoky Mountain Boys. The band prominently featured the Dobro, thus popularizing the instrument in country music; the most famous Dobro player associated with Acuff is “Bashful Brother Oswald” (Pete Kirby). Despite the fact that he performed holding a fiddle, the slight twang in Acuff’s voice was the only hint that he came from country roots. 1942 brought his last big hit, the bathetic car-wreck ballad “Wreck on the Highway.” In the same year, recognizing the value of country
songs, Acuff formed a music-publishing partnership with songwriter FRED ROSE. In 1948 the young publishing company scored a major coup when it signed SINGER/SONGWRITER HANK WILLIAMS to its list. Fred Rose worked closely with Williams until his death, getting him a major-label recording contract and helping him shape his material.
