Roy Acuff

While you're on the subject of Rex...

I mean, the oldest one I know of a wreck is Wreck on the Highway by Roy Acuff.

It comes from the 40s, and it's about coming across a wreck on the highway, and there's mayhem, but I didn't hear nobody pray.

Yeah.

If you listen just right, you can hear the chorus that came before.

You can hear Clarence Ashley, Roy Acuff, the Callahan Brothers, Woody Guthrie, Josh White, Lead Belly, et cetera, et cetera." And then you come to this point, "And you can hear, too, the pretty yellow-headed miner's daughter from Kentucky who never asked for much, and never got much in return.

Georgia Turner, dead and silent for four decades, is still singing the blues away." Then on the next page, you've got another line that touched me.

It says, "A 16-year-old girl sent something on its way.

I was just totally influenced by her.

But as far as some of the others, there was Kitty Wells on the Grand Ole Opry and Roy Acuff.

And there was some early on after I got out to where we really had a little bit more exposure.

to big radio and all.

This is by Carl Smith.

the father of Carlene Carter, and is from a tribute album to Roy Acuff that Carl Smith did.

And this wah-wah guitar part kind of disappears midway through the song.

I think the guy maybe looked at his watch and realized he had another place to go.

He was involved with the Cotton Bowl, the Dallas Auditorium, the Waco Coliseum, the St. Angelo Coliseum, Baylor Stadium, Baylor University, Texas Tech Stadium and Texas Tech University.

And as a promoter, he started booking Opry acts like Roy Acuff, Kitty Wells, Minnie Pearl, and Whitey Ford, also known as the Duke of Paducah, in 1945.

Not

the pitcher Whitey Ford.

This was extra significant for Travis Tritt because he had always believed that his style, which was rowdy, and his rock influences would prevent him from being invited to join the more traditional country music institution.

But a big reason that Tritt was invited and got the support of the Opry is because he had another legend take him under his wing, and I'm talking about Roy Acuff.

Acuff was vocal about seeing Travis Tritt on the Opry stage more, which led to his induction in 1992.

And at the time of that induction in 1992, Travis Tritt had a duet that was rapidly climbing the charts.

That's right, 13 years old.

He was the mandolin player for Lester Flatt, the bluegrass legend.

And before he accepted the Opry's invitation, Marty Stuart wanted the blessings of country music icons Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl.

Since his induction, Marty has gone to introduce artists like Terry Clark, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, and speaking of Dierks Bentley, I asked Dierks what he loves about Marty Stuart, and this is what he said.

That's when Vince Gill officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

And get this, he was inducted by Roy Acuff himself.

If you know anything about country music, you know the Opry is sacred ground.

So for Vince to be welcomed in like that, that was huge.