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m u s i c • t r a d i t i o n a l c o u n t r y • b l u e s • f o l k • a m e r i c a n a m u s i c • a m e r i c a n r o o t s m u s i c • t r a d i t i o n
| Roy Acuff The Smoky Mountain Boy By Elizabeth Schlappi Roy Acuff was the first living performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was an artist whose devotion to his work boosted not only his own career, but also the credibility and popularity of his field. This country music legend helped bring the fledgling industry and its capital, The Grand Ole Opry, from the classification of regional entertainment to a certified national institution. Schlappi draws upon personal interviews with Acuff's contemporaries, friends, and family as well as Acuff himself tracing the roots of his career through the evolution of his musical style and his distinctive American art form. |
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Born September 15, 1903 in Maynardville, Tennessee, Roy Acuff was the third of five children. The son of a small-town Baptist preacher, he played semi-professional baseball, but an injury in 1929 and a nervous breakdown in 1930 ended his aspirations to play for the New York Yankees. He then turned his attention to his father's fiddle and began playing traveling medicine shows touring the Southern United States. In 1936, he recorded a cover of the traditional song "The Great Speckled Bird," however, his performance of it on his Grand Ole Opry debut was not well received. He did became a regular on the Grand Ole Opry in 1938 along with his Smoky Mountain Boys. Acuff released several singles in the 1940s including "The Wreck on the Highway," "Beneath That Lonely Mound of Clay" and "The Precious Jewel." He later formed a music publishing venture with Chicago songwriter Fred Rose. Hank Williams, the Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison were among those who initially signed with Acuff-Rose Music. Acuff spent most of the 1950s and 1960s touring constantly, becoming one of the hottest tickets in country music. By the 1970s Acuff performed almost exclusively with the Grand Ole Opry, greatly legitimizing it as the top institution in country music. The King of Country Music died on November 23, 1992. "When a king dies, the people of the land proclaim, 'The King is dead! Long live the King!' However, in this case, there is an empty throne, for there will never be another King." Discography Related links: Content Provided by Wikipedia. |
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"Since migrating from Cambridge,
Mass to Nashville some three decades ago, Mark Brine has carved out a strong
reputation as an uncompromising traditionalist on the country music scene which
has made him one of the elder statesmen of Americana."
-- Shaun Dale, Cosmik Debris Magazine
"I could listen to him sing all night long … he does a good job that boy does." -- Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree "A fine young man who I think has a great future." -- Hank Snow, Grand Ole Opry "Brine could easily have been added to the cast of 'O Brother, Where Art Thou' without raising an eyebrow. He belongs to that group of artists whose individuality and quirkiness consign them to the periphery of what's commercially viable. But God bless him for not just being another cog in the musical wheel." -- James McSweeney, Flyin Shoes |
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"Brine writes wonderful story songs about ordinary people
and ordinary places. To tell these stories, Mark has a voice that is
as comfortable as a favourite coat."
-- Pete Smith, Country Music Round Up "I think what makes Mark Brine such a gifted songwriter/storyteller is the fact that he seems to be such an obvious fan of many genres of music. He's someone who is like a sponge when it comes to reintegrating influences into his own work." -- Gail Worley, Ink 19 "His career has pursued the path of a truly independent artist - someone who follows his soul and does things his own way … his ability to write and produce has made his name synonymous with quality." -- Doug Floyd, AltCountryTab.com ©2006 Mark Brine Music. All rights reserved. |