Roy Acuff
photo by Earl Freudenberg
Those of us in broadcasting have the opportunity to meet many famous people; it’s part of the business. At the top of my list of celebrities would have to be Roy Claxton Acuff, named by the late baseball legend Dizzy Dean as “King of Country Music.”
As I remember, I met Mr. Acuff four times. The first was in 1956 when the Grand Ole Opry Star came to Chattanooga to help in the 10th anniversary celebration of the DuPont plant in Hixson. My dad had been named to the entertainment committee and suggested the company bring in the famous country singer, his dobro player Bashful Brother Oswald and his band the Smokey Mountain Boys.
Dad was assigned a new car and escorted Mr.
Acuff around Chattanooga during the day. I remember he liked the Krystal because it reminded him of White Castle burgers in Nashville. In the evening, Acuff sang to a large crowd packed inside a gigantic tent erected on the Access Road front lawn. Acuff got a standing ovation for “The Great Speckled Bird,” his top 10 recording from 1938.
The second time I met the Maynardville, Tn. native was on an outing with my family at the Opryland Park. Mr. Acuff lived at Opryland and would frequently walk around greeting visitors. He came up to me out of nowhere and said, “Sir, Are you a Christian?” I responded to Mr. Acuff, “Yes Sir.” He said, “Best decision you could ever make,” and the legendary singer continued his park stroll.
In 1983, WDEF TV photographer David Moore and I were invited to the Louvin Brothers farm in Henagar, Ala., for their “May on the Mountain Festival.” Host Charlie Louvin lived at the home place and his friend Roy Acuff was the headline act. I was able to interview Mr. Acuff and afterwards he entertained us with his “yo yo” and “fiddle bow on his nose.” Acuff said he developed those features while in a commercial break on the Opry Radio Show.
Our photographer worked overtime recording part of the event which has been preserved on video. The original tapes were donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In the winter of 1990 I arranged a trip to the Grand Ole Opry with several of my friends including Ken Holloway of the Mountain Opry and personal photographer Al Alexander. It was one of those evenings to remember.
I interviewed the Dean of Country Broadcasters WSM’s Grant Turner; some say it was his last. Al made a beautiful picture of Dottie West as she was leaving the show. After Hank Snow’s performance, the Singing Ranger invited us back to his dressing room for a visit. The Canada native, who died in 1999, had a very interesting career in country music. Snow shared with us some of his experiences that included a concert at the outdoor amusement park Lake Winnepesaukah.
The highlight of the trip had to be our visit with Roy Acuff. Opry officials said his dressing room door was always open and he loved guests. I walked into the spacious room lined with pictures of famous people and introduced myself. I asked Mr. Acuff if I could make a picture with him. He answered, “Do you have a camera?” I responded, “I even brought my own photographer.” Mr. Acuff asked where we were from and said he was the guest on the WDOD radio playhouse in Chattanooga (in the 1940’s) but couldn’t remember the date. Mr. Acuff thanked us for stopping by. He was so gracious. Mr. Acuff also remembered his visit to North Georgia and performing at Lake Winnepesaukah.
As Mr. Acuff was being assisted to the stage to sing, I asked our photographer if I could take his picture. Alexander set up the camera and handed it to me; I cherish that picture. It’s hard to believe it was over 40 years ago.
Mr. Acuff went out on stage and told several thousand in the audience he wanted to welcome to the Grand Ole Opry some of his friends from WDOD and Chattanooga, Tennessee. He dedicated “I’ll Fly Away” to us.
Acuff joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938 and remained an active member until his death on Nov. 23, 1992.
My love for Roy Acuff comes from dad who bought over a dozen of his 78 RPM records. During my father’s final days at Parkridge Medical Center, I took some of our Roy Acuff compact discs to the hospital and Dad played them over and over. Even the nurses stopped and listened and his doctor, Carol Gruver, remarked, “That’s Roy Acuff.”
By the way, Roy Acuff was born on my birthday, Nov. 15, 1903. How could I ever forget the voice of Roy Acuff? He will forever be in my memory as no one will ever be able to replace the “King of Country Music.”
Roy Acuff and Earl Freudenberg
photo by Al Alexander