- published: 29 May 2012
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Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music," Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.
Acuff began his music career in the 1930s, and gained regional fame as the singer and fiddler for his group, the Smoky Mountain Boys. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938, and although his popularity as a musician waned in the late 1940s, he remained one of the Opry's key figures and promoters for nearly four decades. In 1942, Acuff co-founded the first major Nashville-based country music publishing company—Acuff-Rose Music—which signed acts such as Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and The Everly Brothers. In 1962, Acuff became the first living inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Roy Acuff was born in Maynardville, Tennessee to Ida (née Carr) and Simon E. Neill Acuff, the third of five children. The Acuffs were a fairly prominent Union County family. Roy's paternal grandfather, Coram Acuff, had been a Tennessee state senator, and Roy's maternal grandfather was a local physician. Roy's father was an accomplished fiddler and a Baptist preacher, his mother was proficient on the piano, and during Roy's early years the Acuff house was a popular place for local gatherings. At such gatherings, Roy would often amuse people by balancing farm tools on his chin. He also learned to play harmonica and jaw harp at a young age.
Keith Bilbrey (born August 14, 1952) is an American country music disc jockey and television host in Nashville, Tennessee. He served as a disc jockey at Nashville's WSM, as an announcer on the Grand Ole Opry, and as the host of TNN’s Grand Ole Opry Live.
Keith Bilbrey was born in Cookeville, Tennessee to Leo and Ethel Bilbrey, the youngest of three children. His love affair with radio began in 4th grade and he got his broadcast license at the age of 14. In 1968, Bilbrey went to work at Cookeville’s WHUB, soon after his 16th birthday. He remained at WHUB for six years.
In 1974, Bilbrey moved to Nashville to begin working for WSM, first as a substitute announcer for WSM-FM and then as a full-time disc jockey on WSM’s FM and AM stations. Throughout his career, Bilbrey worked every single time slot at WSM and became an iconic voice in the modern history of the station and fan favorite.
In 1982, Bilbrey began announcing on the Grand Ole Opry, joining a long tradition of legendary Opry announcers, including George D. Hay, Grant Turner, Ralph Emery, and Hairl Hensley. When The Nashville Network (TNN) began televising a thirty minute portion of the show in 1985, the young announcer became the first host of Grand Ole Opry Live. Bilbrey hosted Opry Live, along with the Opry warm-up show, Backstage Live, until TNN stopped airing the show in 2000.
Actors: Bob Hannah (actor), William Sanderson (actor), Frank Mitchell (actor), Tommy Lee Jones (actor), Sissy Spacek (actress), Michael Apted (director), Beverly D'Angelo (actress), Loretta Lynn (writer), Minnie Pearl (actress), Zelda Barron (producer), Joe I. Tompkins (costume designer), Levon Helm (actor), Roy Acuff (actor), Arthur Schmidt (editor), Bob Larson (producer),
Plot: At only thirteen years of age, Loretta Webb marries Doolittle Lynn and is soon responsible for a sizeable family. Loretta appears destined to a life of homemaking, but Doolittle recognises his wife's musical talent, and buys her a guitar as an anniversary present one year. This gift sets Loretta Lynn on the gruelling, tumultuous path to country music greatness.
Keywords: 1950s, abusive-husband, affection, apostrophe-in-title, appalachia, based-on-autobiography, blockbuster, bus-tour, car-crash, character's-journey-shown-on-mapActors: Paul Borofsky (editor), Harry Cheshire (actor), Heinie Conklin (actor), John Elliott (actor), Sam Flint (actor), Olin Howland (actor), Jock Mahoney (actor), Jason Robards Sr. (actor), Fred F. Sears (actor), Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams (actor), Colbert Clark (producer), Barry Shipman (writer), Ray Nazarro (director), Eddie Acuff (actor), Trevor Bardette (actor),
Plot: Range minstrel Roy Acuff takes over the county-wide Corby Ranch which, under the terms of the owner's will, must be operated by Roy for ninety days, and at the end of that time, family friend Doc Moffit, must decide whether to turn over the ranch to Roy or the rough Corby boys, Roy's cousins Bruce "Kid" Corby and Joab. Corby foreman "Saddle Grease" tries to run Roy off the place, but eases off when Roy saves his life during a wild drive with a truck full of dynamite. Roy opens the range to migratory workers, discovers new water wells, tears down electric fences, cures ailing cattle, plays his fiddle, and treats the neighbors and kids with barbecues and and barn dances, where he plays his fiddle some more. Kid Corby gives Roy a beating, but is so ashamed of himself that he helps Roy from then on. Joab, working with a crooked lawyer, rigs a scheme to destroy Roy's reputation. The frame-up fails, but Roy returns the ranch to the now-reformed brothers and takes to the road again with his Smoky Mountain Boys.
Keywords: attorney-general, band, bobbing-for-apples, brother, campfire, country-music, crooked-lawyer, divining-rod, doctor, electric-fenceActors: Tony Martinelli (editor), Irving Bacon (actor), Roy Barcroft (actor), Joseph Dubin (composer), Mort Glickman (composer), Adele Palmer (costume designer), Lesley Selander (director), Bob Burns (actor), Joseph Crehan (actor), Kenne Duncan (actor), Joel Friedkin (actor), Jack Kirk (actor), Allan Lane (actor), Tom London (actor), LeRoy Mason (actor),
Genres: Action, Drama, Music,Actors: Barbara Jo Allen (actress), Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams (actor), Charles Starrett (actor), Blackie Whiteford (actor), Ben Taggart (actor), Max Terhune (actor), John Tyrrell (actor), Herbert Heyes (actor), Bob Burns (actor), Tex Ritter (actor), Emmett Lynn (actor), Ken Curtis (actor), Elmer (actor), Dub Taylor (actor), Edythe Elliott (actress),
Genres: Music, Western,Actors: Virginia Brissac (actress), Ralph Dixon (editor), Stuart E. McGowan (writer), R. Dale Butts (composer), Frank McDonald (director), Adele Palmer (costume designer), Dorrell McGowan (writer), Jack Kirk (actor), Earle Hodgins (actor), Stanley Brown (actor), Olin Howland (actor), Harry Cheshire (actor), Charles Irwin (actor), Maxine Doyle (actress), Ruth Terry (actress),
Genres: Musical, Romance,Actors: Robert McKenzie (actor), Janet Beecher (actress), Barbara Jo Allen (actress), Harry C. Bradley (actor), John Archer (actor), Earle S. Dewey (actor), Don Wilson (actor), Jack Kenny (actor), Harry Cheshire (actor), Forbes Murray (actor), Billy Bevan (actor), Broderick O'Farrell (actor), Charles McAvoy (actor), Constance Purdy (actress), Jean Parker (actress),
Genres: Comedy, Musical,Actors: Robert J. Wilke (actor), Claire Carleton (actress), Ferris Taylor (actor), Robert Frazer (actor), Don Dillaway (actor), Charles Williams (actor), William 'Billy' Benedict (actor), Henry Kolker (actor), Allan Lane (actor), Carey Loftin (actor), Pierce Lyden (actor), Jack George (actor), Lorin Raker (actor), Purnell Pratt (actor), Jody Gilbert (actress),
Plot: Abner Weaver, a small-town mayor in the Ozarks, through the music of performers from 'The Grand Ole Opry," and the antics and help of his family and the local citizens, manages to pass a legislative bill to help the farmers, and also wins the election for state government from a group of crooked politicians.
Keywords: 1930s, actor-shares-first-and-last-name-with-character, actor-shares-first-name-with-character, actor-shares-last-name-with-character, attorney-general, b-movie, baseball-bat, brother, brother-in-law, cannon