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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.
Roy tried to join the Grand Ole Opry but had little success until February 1938 when he was asked to substitute for a star that had dropped out. He sang 'Great Speckled Bird' and the crowd went wild, he was soon asked to be an Opry staff member. He changed the name of his band to the Smokey Mountain Boys and it has over the course of time included some of the top musicians of the day.
He was a succesful business man owning Acuff Rose publications the leading American Music Publishers, Hickory records and he even ran for Governor of Tennessee and played the lead role in 8 movies
Some of his hits are 'Wreck on the Highway', 'Fireball Mail', 'Night Train to Memphis', 'will the circle be unbroken', 'I saw the light',
During the '40s, Acuff's recordings became so popular that he headed Frank Sinatra in some major music polls and reportedly caused Japanese troops to yell 'To hell with Roosevelt, to hell with Babe Ruth, to hell with Roy Acuff' as they banzai-charged at Okinawa. These years also saw some of his biggest hits, including "Wreck on the Highway" (1942), Fireball Mail (1942), Night Train to Memphis (1943),
Roy's contribution to country music was recognized in 1962, when he became the first living musician to be honored as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 1972 He guested on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's triple album set "Will The Circle Be Unbroken?", lending credence to contemporary and country-rock music. He appeared regularly on the Grand Ole Opry throughout the '70s and '80s.
Fred Rose once said he never understood country music until he saw Roy Acuff singing with tears streaming down his face.
Country Music lost one of it's biggest stars when Roy Acuff died on November 23, 1992 following a short illness.
Things Pick Up for The Boys
Things weren't going smoothly and Milton Brown quit when O'Daniel forbade them from playing dance tunes. August 1933 saw Wills fired from the band he created because he allegedly had a drink problem. eventually most of the band left to join Wills.
He formed a new band Bob Wills and his Playboys and they got a regular spot on WACO in Waco Texas, But O'Daniel's legal harassment lost them the contract, they had several other run in's and eventually they moved to Tulsa and signed up with KVOO this was a relationship that was to last for Bob or his brother for the next 24 years. They became the flagship for a station that was hungry for the type of music they played which at that time they called Country Jazz but finally became known as Western Swing. Wills was now so popular that he bought himself a flour mill and went into direct competition with his former boss.
The Playboys ranged in number from 13 upto 40 members Wills always denied being a country band he was one of the first to use Drums and Electric instruments as well as horns and reeds. they used lots of Jazz and they were without doubt a big band however with the use of fiddles and yodelling, country music was what he played it may have been new but it swept all before it first in the midwest then it took the southwest and west coast by storm.
Every where you looked someone was starting a Western Swing band. Wills was a magnetic personality with a great sense of humour and a constant banter with the audience, he attracted the top musicians of his day to join his band. Bob Wills quit touring after a couple of heart attacks in 1962 and 1964.
He starred in 26 Western movies and was inducted into the Country music hall of fame in 1968. 1969 saw the state of texas give him a special citation Wills died after a stroke on 13 May 1975.
Hits included San Antonio Rose, Lone Star Rag, Take me Back to Tulsa, Cotton Eyed Joe, Cherokee Maiden, Milk Cow Boogie Roly Poly,