Roy Acuff

Subject: BS: Roy Acuff
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 08:33 AM

any Acuff fans? I don't know much about his music or personality other than he was a slave driver on the Opry and wanted to always be in-charge.

Subject: RE: BS: Roy Acuff
From: kendall
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 08:46 AM

He was also a republican, but, he is one of my all time favorites. You can hear some of his stuff on the Record Lady's web site.

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: Louie Roy
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 10:41 AM

He made the Grand Old Opry and to accomplish such a feat in the depression days he had to be a slave driver.He entertained us old timers with his raspy voice on so many of his beautiful gospul tunes so I'm like Kendall he was and still is one of my favorite artist

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: GUEST,Gern
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 10:44 AM

If that's "all you know," it's not enough. Acuff was the first true singing star of the Opry, and an impressive showman with 60-some years experience. His Smokey Mountain Boys were a virtual circus of hillbilly music, combining cornball with authenticity old-time music. Thruout the changes in commercial country music, Acuff's act remained primarily acoustic and focused on traditional ballads he learned in Union County, Tennessee. Notable long-time bandmembers included greats like Brother Oswald on dobro and harmony, Howdy Forrester on fiddle and Jimmy Riddle on harmonica. Originally a fiddler, Acuff developed a heartfelt, emotional singing style that became the stereotype of old-time country. He wrote classics like "The Precious Jewel" and recorded the memorable versions of timeless country tunes like "Wabash Cannonball," "The Great Speckled Bird," "Pins and Needles," "Low and Lonely, "Freight Train Blues," "Don't Make Me Go to Bed and I'll be Good" and way too many others to list. Outraged by a governor's disparaging remark about "hillbillies" on the Opry, Acuff ran for governor of Tennessee in the 40s and nearly won. Japanese soldiers reportedly hit the Pacific beaches in WWII with rallying cries of "To hell with Babe Ruth; to hell with Roy Acuff." This man was part of the bedrock of American traditional music, and deserves to be remembered for more than his purported personality quirks.

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 10:47 AM

Nicely said Gern.

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: kendall
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 12:34 PM

Funny how history gets changed. The way I heard it, Acuff was asked to run by the republican party, and he refused. Curious.

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: rangeroger
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 04:51 PM

Just picked up a Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys 78 at the local St.Vincent dePaul yesterday.Songs were "The Pale Horse and His Rider" and "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?"

rr

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: khandu
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 05:00 PM

Some of his "taking control" can be heard on Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" (the original).

But, I believe his impact on country music is beyond measure.

khandu

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: DougR
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 05:01 PM

I never cared much for his singing, but I liked his politics.

I dont' think I have ever heard anyone sing "Wabash Cannonball" better than him though.

DougR

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: Banjer
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 05:41 PM

Can't add much to what has already been said, except that Roy Acuff is and always will be one of the tops in my book. Do yourself a favor, Ballpienhammer, and listen to some of his work, especially the older stuff and his gospel numbers. There's much feeling in them all.

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: Joe_F
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 05:53 PM

Rumor has it that the Daddy Claxton referred to in many versions of "Wabash Cannonball" was Mr Acuff's grandfather and put into the song by him.

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: tar_heel
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 06:33 PM

since mt childhood days,roy acuff has always been one of my favorite heros of the grand ole opry...as a boy of 12 years old(1948/49)i sold papers on the the street corner in downtown winston-salem,n.c..roy acuff and the smokey mtn.,boys were appearing at the old state theater one day,just a block east of my street corner where i sold my papers...he was also staying at the old robert e.lee hotel there,one block west of my corner...he walked past my corner several time between shows and during one of those walks,he stopped and bought a newspaper from me...he gave me two buffalo nickels(yes,newspapers were a nickel a piece then!)i was so tickled that i put those nickels in a separate pocket and took them home and gave them to my mom to keep for me...
today i wear those nickels soldered on either side of my watch band to remind me of how lucky i was as a twelve year old kid to sell a newspaper to my then idol,roy acuff...

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: DougR
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 07:20 PM

That's a great story, Tar_hell!

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 12 Oct 02 - 08:35 PM

Re Acuff's political career:

After twice declining the invitation, in 1944 and 1946, Acuff was finally persuaded to run for state governor in 1948. He stood as a Republican and although he failed to be elected, he polled more votes than any previous Republican candidate in Tennessee. He later said, "I could have won, if I had run as a Democrat, been a puppet and made campaign promises." He took defeat with no regrets, saying, "As a Governor I would have been just another politician. As a singer I can be Roy Acuff"

Murray

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 07:33 AM

thanks all! I will pick up some of his music. I heard some of his comments on WCBU#1 and want to hear more of his fiddlin'. bph

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: kendall
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 08:13 AM

..."I can be Roy Acuff" No modesty in his family...HE got all of it!

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: Banjer
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 12:46 PM

Unlike most of however, he has much about which to be modest!

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: Cappuccino
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 01:08 PM

I was doing a 'backstage at the Opry' feature for a magazine in 1984-ish, my first visit to the States, and waa fortunate to meet both Acuff and Bill Monroe, who were sitting together backstage. Against all Opry backstage protocol, Acuff signed a programme for me, on the grounds that it would be sold for charity (which it was).

That same afternoon I had been sitting in the Opry manager's office when an old man wandered in, said a polite hello, and walked out again. I hadn't realised it was Acuff.

Later, a Nashville agent told me, cynically, why he reckoned the Opry had given Acuff a house of his own in the grounds of the new Opryland. He said 'they're just waiting for him to die, so they can turn it into a museum...'

Great memories.

- Ian B

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: kendall
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 01:28 PM

I went to a show in Norfolk Va. back in the 50's which featured Acuff and Kitty Wells. After the show, she stayed around to sign autographs, but, he took off out the back door. He dropped a few points in my book.

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: wilco
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 02:13 PM

I'm about one hundred miles from Nashville, in Chattanooga, TN. USA, and everyone around here has Acuff stories, or Hank Williams stories, Flatt & Scrugg stories, etc. Lots of the older people I jam with were in their bands at one time or another (especially Bill Monroe's bands). I was recently researching Mollie O'Day, from WNOX in Knoxville (TN USA), who was a minor opry star of the late thirties and forties (Tramp on the Street, Wreck on the Highway, etc.). I mentioned it to my barber, and he told me a story about Acuff and O'Day playing in a nearby community " about forty or fifty years ago). By and large, he is considered the showman who was "the man" in country music for many years. Seldom here any bad comments about him from those who knew him.

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 04:47 PM

wilco48, I had my first Chattanooga visit last year returning from
Houston. I wanted to visit Lookout Mt....went up the incline minutes before a ferocious thunderstorm stranded us there for about an hour.
Will visit again-ate some dam good BBQ at the base.

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: GUEST,Good vs Evil
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 05:43 PM

Generally speaking, I have found that-


a GOOD-HEARTED PERSON will speak about the good traits
and accomplishments of another person

while an EVIL-HEARTED PERSON will stress shortcomings and minor
faults of another person...

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 01:15 AM

Check out an interesting song involving Acuff, in

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: rangeroger
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 02:15 AM

Wow,that is really amazing, Susan. A blue-clicky thing written in invisible cyber-ink. And it works!

rr

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: Cappuccino
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 02:52 AM

'Evil'-hearted is pitching it a little strong, guest!!!
- Ian B

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 08:12 AM

Ooops! THIS THREAD

~S~

Subject: RE: Roy Acuff
From: kendall
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 08:18 AM

I am most certainly not evil. I am, however, a realist. Roy Acuff is one of my few heros, he was also human with a few "faults" just like the rest of us.