Born 123 Years Ago in Tennessee, the Country Pioneer Hank Williams Compared to God—and Founder of Nashville’s First Music Publishing Company

On this day (September 15) in 1903, Roy Acuff was born in Maynardville, Tennessee. When he rose to fame in the 1930s, he helped transform country music into a more lucrative genre. Later, he became one of the biggest stars of the Grand Ole Opry. Additionally, he teamed with Fred Rose to establish Acuff-Rose Music, Nashville’s first country music publishing company.

As a child, Acuff played the fiddle as a hobby. However, he was much more interested in sports. After high school, he turned down a scholarship to Carson-Newman University and worked toward a baseball career. In the late 1920s, he tried out for the Knoxville Smokies, the New York Giants’ farm team. He suffered sunstroke during spring training that led to chronic illness and a nervous breakdown. While recovering, he avoided the sun, which gave him plenty of time to hone his fiddling skills.

Roy Acuff’s Early Career

According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Acuff joined Dr. Hauer’s medicine show in 1932. He wore blackface, played the fiddle, and sang while Hauer hawked patent medicines–also called snake oil–across the southern Appalachian region. During this time, he learned to sing loud and clear to be heard over the crowd without amplification. He also met Clarence Ashley, a legendary Appalachian folk musician, who taught him “The House of the Rising Sun” and “Greenback Dollar.”

Two years later, Acuff left the medicine show to perform in the Knoxville area, where he had built a following. He and his band, the Tennessee Crackerjacks, played on WROL and WNOX. At the time, listeners were accustomed to hearing vocalists drowned out by their accompanying string bands. Acuff didn’t have this problem. As a result, his following grew. Their renditions of classic songs like “The Great Speckled Bird” helped them land a recording contract with American Record Corporation. They recorded “Wabash Cannonball,” among other songs for ARC.

The Star System

After multiple failed attempts, Roy Acuff and his band finally landed a guest spot on the Grand Ole Opry in 1937. They didn’t get much of a reaction from the fans. Then, in February 1958, they returned. “Great Speckled Bird” brought fan mail from all across WSM’s territory.

Soon, Opry executives Harry and David Stone began working to make Acuff a star of the show. Listeners loved “Great Speckled Bird” and “Wabash Cannonball.” Opry decision-makers loved that his sound was a bridge between country music’s hillbilly roots and a wider audience.

Acuff’s popularity on the Opry translated to huge crowds attending his concerts. “He’s the biggest singer this music ever knew,” Hank Williams said of Acuff. “You booked him, and you didn’t worry about crowds. For drawing power in the South, it was Roy Acuff, then God.”

Roy Acuff Established Acuff-Rose

By the early 1940s, Roy Acuff and Fred Rose formed Acuff-Rose Music. Initially, Acuff planned to use the company to publish songs he had written. However, they quickly realized that other country songwriters were looking for a publishing company that would treat them fairly. As a result, Acuff-Rose became the first country music publishing firm in Nashville. Over the years, they signed countless top-tier songwriters, including Hank Williams. They also signed Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, Lefty Frizzell, The Everly Brothers, Mickey Newbury, Whitey Shafer, and many others.

[RELATED: “George Jones Was Right When He Sang ‘Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes’”: A Throwback Look at Roy Acuff and Glen Campbell’s Shared Country Roots]

By the late 1940s, the country music industry was changing. Honky tonk and pop-leaning country music were beginning to dominate the charts. As a result, Acuff’s popularity began to dwindle. However, he didn’t step away from the industry. Instead, he adapted, establishing Hickey Records in 1953. Before the decade ended, he and Wesley Rose formed the booking agency Acuff-Rose Artists Corporation.

By the late 1960s, he began thinking seriously about retirement, but continued to perform. Then, in 1971, his career got a much-needed shot in the arm. He was one of the many legendary country, folk, and old-time musicians who joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for Will the Circle Be Unbroken. The album introduced the likes of Doc Watson, Merle Travis, and Maybelle Carter to a new generation. More importantly, it sparked a renewed interest in folk music.

The End of the Road

Roy Acuff continued to perform on the Grand Ole Opry into his 80s. He remained the show’s biggest star, elder statesman, and greatest ambassador until he died in 1992.

In 1962, Acuff became the first living artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was also the first country artist to receive a lifetime achievement award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Acuff was one of the most influential artists in country music history. He didn’t just influence and inspire generations of singers. He also helped shape the Nashville-centered industry in general. Without his contributions, country music wouldn’t be what it is today.

Featured Image by Paul Natkin/Getty Images