Born on This Day in 1914, the Artist Who Elevated the Grand Ole Opry and Wrote One of the Most-Performed Songs in History

On this day (February 18) in 1914, Pee Wee King was born Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski in Abrams, Wisconsin. He learned to play accordion from his father, a polka musician, at a young age. Later, he and his band backed Gene Autry, who gave him the nickname Pee Wee. King is credited with elevating the Grand Ole Opry by introducing matching stage attire, a well-rehearsed repertoire, and union musicians to the show.

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King made his musical debut playing accordion in his father’s polka band when he was 15 years old. Soon after that, he changed his name to Frankie King after the popular polka bandleader Wayne King. Then, he formed a band–Frankie King & the King’s Jesters.

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In 1934, King and some of his bandmates toured with Gene Autry as his backing band. He also appeared in some films alongside Autry. Additionally, the singing cowboy gave him the name that most remembered by. According to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, there were several men named Frank in Autry’s troupe. As a result, he started calling his young accordion player Pee Wee, and the name stuck.

King formed The Golden West Cowboys in 1936 while performing on the Knoxville, Tennessee-based radio station WNOX, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The next year, the band relocated to Nashville, where they joined the Grand Ole Opry.

Pee Wee King Shakes Up the Grand Ole Opry

Pee Wee King helped to change and elevate the Opry, which was dominated by string bands at the time. He and his band took the stage in matching rhinestone-covered western suits designed by Nudie Cohn, a tailor from Hollywood. Soon, these “Nudie suits” would become popular with many country music’s biggest stars.

He and his bandmates were also members of the American Federation of Musicians. As a result, King is credited with bringing the union to the Opry. He has been credited as the first artist in Nashville to carry a union card.

King also had a hand in changing the overall sound of the Opry. He had a big band that included horns and drums. As a result, he helped end the show’s ban on those instruments as well as electric guitars.

King’s Songs Were Huge Hits

Pee Wee King was also a songwriter who penned some of the most popular songs in American musical history. For instance, he wrote “Bonaparte’s Retreat,” “You Belong to Me,” and “Slow Poke.” The latter topped the pop and country charts in 1951, making King one of the first country artists to land a crossover hit. He and his bandmate Redd Stewart also co-wrote “Tennessee Waltz.” It was a top 5 hit for King. Then, Patti Page recorded it, and it became a smash hit, simultaneously topping multiple charts in 1950. Later, it became the fourth state song of Tennessee.

Moreover, “Tennessee Waltz” is one of the most-performed songs in American history and has been recorded by more than 500 artists. That long list includes King, Cowboy Copas, Roy Acuff, The Louvin Brothers, Connie Francis, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Kitty Wells, Otis Redding, and Emmylou Harris.

To say that modern music wouldn’t be the same without the contributions of Pee Wee King would be a gross understatement.

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