Roy Acuff
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 singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful. In 1952, Hank Williams told Ralph Gleason, "He's the biggest singer this music ever knew. You booked him and you didn't worry about crowds. For drawing power in the South, it was Roy Acuff, then God." 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 and Fred Rose founded Acuff-Rose Music, the first major Nashville-based country music publishing company, which signed such artists as Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and the Everly Brothers. In 1962, Acuff became the first living inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. |
Birth and Death Data: Born September 15, 1903 (Maynardville), Died November 23, 1992 (Nashville)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1956
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, leader, violin, composer, lyricist, songwriter, Musical group, arranger, instrumentalist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-75 of 127 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | C4315 | 10-in. | 12/19/1944 | Wait for the light to shine | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | Male vocal solo, with string band | vocalist, Musical group, instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Columbia | C4371 | 10-in. | 2/17/1945 | Searching for a soldier's grave | Bailes Brothers | String band, with male vocal duet | composer, lyricist | |
Columbia | C4372 | 10-in. | 2/17/1945 | As long as I live | Bailes Brothers | String band, with male vocal duet | songwriter | |
Columbia | C4428 | 10-in. | 8/2/1945 | No one will ever know | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | Male vocal with string band | vocalist, Musical group, leader | |
Columbia | C4430 | 10-in. | 8/2/1945 | I think I'll go home and cry | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, songwriter, instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Columbia | C4431 | 10-in. | 8/2/1945 | We live in two different worlds | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, leader | |
Columbia | C4432 | 10-in. | 8/2/1945 | Pins and needles (in my heart) | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4514 | 10-in. | 3/11/1946 | Golden treasure | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, leader | |
Columbia | HCO4516 | 10-in. | 3/11/1946 | Let me be the first to say I'm sorry | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | Male vocal solo, with string band | vocalist, Musical group, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4517 | 10-in. | 3/11/1946 | All the world is lonely now | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4518 | 10-in. | 3/11/1946 | That glory bound train | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist | |
Columbia | CCO4519 | 10-in. | 3/11/1946 | Waiting for my call to glory | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | Male vocal solo, with string band | vocalist, Musical group, songwriter, instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4520 | 10-in. | 3/11/1946 | Gone, gone, gone (but not forgotten) | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | Male vocal solo, with string band | vocalist, Musical group, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4521 | 10-in. | 3/11/1946 | Tell me now or tell me never | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | Male vocal solo, with string band | vocalist, Musical group, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4700 | 10-in. | 12/16/1946 | The tear stained letter | Cumberland Mountain Folks ; Molly O'Day | String band, with male & female vocal duet | composer, lyricist | |
Columbia | CCO4893 | 10-in. | 11/18/1947 | When they take that last look at me | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | Male vocal solo, with string band | vocalist, Musical group, leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Columbia | CCO4894 | 10-in. | 11/18/1947 | This world can't stand long | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, instrumentalist, violin, composer, lyricist | |
Columbia | CCO4895 | 10-in. | 11/18/1947 | I saw the light | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble | vocalist, Musical group, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4896 | 10-in. | 11/18/1947 | Heartaches and flowers | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Columbia | CCO4897 | 10-in. | 11/18/1947 | The songbirds are singing in heaven | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4898 | 10-in. | 11/18/1947 | Unloved and unclaimed | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, songwriter | |
Columbia | CCO4899 | 10-in. | 11/18/1947 | I had a dream | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, instrumentalist, violin | |
Columbia | CCO4900 | 10-in. | 11/19/1947 | Thank God | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble | vocalist, Musical group, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4901 | 10-in. | 11/19/1947 | You'll reap these tears | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, Musical group, instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4902 | 10-in. | 11/19/1947 | Its just about time | Roy Acuff ; Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, composer, lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Roy Acuff ," accessed April 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/300313.
Roy Acuff . (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/300313.
"Roy Acuff ." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Roy Acuff
Discogs: Roy Acuff
Allmusic: Roy Acuff
Grove: Roy Acuff
RILM: Roy Acuff
RISM: Roy Acuff
IMDb: Roy Acuff
Britannica: Roy Acuff
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Acuff, Roy - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n83042805
Wikidata: Roy Acuff - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q455773
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/32182376
MusicBrainz: Roy Acuff - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d7db24ec-d95b-409a-9841-afd946701435
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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