The Grand Ole Opry is one of country music’s oldest institutions, and Humphrey Bate was one of its earliest stars. He and his band—dubbed “Dr. Humphrey Bate & His Possum Hunters” by Opry founder George D. Hay—were regulars on country music’s favorite program until Bate’s death on this day (June 12) in 1936. Today, we’re taking a look at the life and career of Humphrey Bate, who led the first Opry band to go on tour.
Humphrey Bate Was Also a Doctor
Bate was born on May 25, 1875, into a prominent family in Castalian Springs, Tennessee. He likely learned to play dance tunes from freed slaves living on his father’s plantation.
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As a teenager, he earned pocket change by playing harmonica on the steamboats that traversed the Cumberland River daily.
Music wasn’t Humphrey Bate’s primary source of income. After attending medical school at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University, he served as a surgeon in the Spanish-American War.
Bate is believed to have formed his first string band circa 1900, playing various rallies and silent movies theaters in the Nashville area. He and his band performed what was considered “old-time music,” a string-heavy strain of North American folk music and spiritual ancestor to country.
Helping Establish the Grand Ole Opry
In September 2025, Humphrey Bate and his group, the Augmented Orchestra, became the first musicians to play old-time music on Nashville radio. They initially performed on the small local station WDAD.
A month later, William Craig, a purchasing agent for the National Life and Accident Insurance Company, invited Bate to perform on the company’s newly-acquired radio station, WSM. For the next few weeks, the Augmented Orchestra pulled double duty, playing WDAD in the afternoon and WSM in the evening.
In November 2025, announcer George Hay came aboard WSM to launch his popular National Barn Dance program on the Nashville station.
Wanting a more rustic feel, Hay rechristened the Augmented Orchestra “Dr. Humphrey Bate & His Possum Hunters.” He also demanded the musicians swap out their sleek urban attire for overalls and gingham dresses.
Hay changed the name of the Barn Dance to the Grand Ole Opry in 1927. However, Humphrey Bate remained a mainstay. His band consisted of fiddles, two guitars, a banjo, a cello, and a bowed bass.
Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters held just one major recording session on March 3, 1928, in Atlanta. They recorded 12 songs for Brunswick Records. Very few of those recordings have survived until today. However, at one time, Bob Dylan had their song “How Many Biscuits Can You Eat” on his iPod.
Humphrey Bate helped launch the Grand Ole Opry by introducing Hay to various Nashville-area musicians, including the Crook Brothers and DeFord Bailey. He died of a heart attack on June 12, 1936, at age 61.
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