Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff without doubt is the King of Country Music, reknowned for his integrity throughout his astonishing career.
Born in Maynardsville, Tennessee in 1903 his father was a judge and a baptist minister, not initially drawn to country music he did remarkable well in amateur threatricals and athletics, he even had a tryout for the New York Yankees baseball team, unfortunately a couple of bouts of sunstroke ended his sports career.
It was during his recuperation from the sunstroke attacks that he started listening to his father's country music records, he liked them so much he decided to learn the fiddle, a neighbour got Roy a job in a medicine show as a singer and blackfaced comedian. From this humble beginning he formed his own band the Tennessee Crackerjacks and then the Crazy Tennesseans. By 1936 he cut his own record, strangely or maybe not so strange this song is the one most associated with Acuff 'The Great Speckled Bird.' This song with it's mystical lyrics has been the subject of many attempts to explain it's meanings.