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 126-127 of 127 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca NA 9531 10/19/1956 I wanta be loved Roy Acuff ; The Smoky Mountain Boys vocalist, Musical group, leader  
Decca NA 9532 10/19/1956 I like mountain music Roy Acuff ; The Smoky Mountain Boys vocalist, Musical group, leader  
(Results 126-127 of 127 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Roy Acuff ," accessed May 6, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/300313.

Roy Acuff . (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 6, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/300313.

"Roy Acuff ." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/300313

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