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: leader, vocalist, violin, composer, lyricist, songwriter, Musical group, arranger, lead vocal, instrumentalist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 76-100 of 132 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | CCO4904 | 10-in. | 11/19/1947 | It's so hard to smile | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, instrumentalist, violin | |
Columbia | CCO4905 | 10-in. | 11/19/1947 | The waltz of the wind | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Columbia | CCO4906 | 10-in. | 11/19/1947 | A sinner's death | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, violin, composer, lyricist | |
Columbia | CCO4907 | 10-in. | 11/19/1947 | The midnight train | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO40410 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Were you there when they crucified my Lord | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, arranger | |
Columbia | CO40411 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Sweeter than the flowers | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO40412 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Tennessee waltz | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO40413 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | The pale horse and his rider | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO40414 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Gray eagle | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band | leader | |
Columbia | CO40415 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Dance around Molly | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band | leader | |
Columbia | CO40416 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Black Mountain rag | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band | leader | |
Columbia | CO40417 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Pretty little widow | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | Square dance | leader | |
Columbia | CO40418 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Smoky Mountain rag | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band | leader | |
Columbia | CO40419 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Lonesome Indian | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band | leader | |
Columbia | CO40420 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Bully of the town | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band | leader | |
Columbia | CO40421 | 10-in. | 1/15/1949 | Polk County breakdown | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band | leader | |
Columbia | CO42586 | 10-in. | 12/18/1949 | Jesus died for me | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO42587 | 10-in. | 12/18/1949 | If I could hear my mother pray again | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO42588 | 10-in. | 12/18/1949 | The day they laid Mary away | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Columbia | CO42589 | 10-in. | 12/18/1949 | It's all right now | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO45066 | 10-in. | 1/16/1951 | Baldknob Arkansas | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO45067 | 10-in. | 1/16/1951 | A plastic heart | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO45068 | 10-in. | 1/16/1951 | Advice to Joe | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, songwriter | |
Columbia | CO45069 | 10-in. | 1/16/1951 | When my money run out (I lost all my friends) | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | CO45070 | 10-in. | 1/16/1951 | Your address unknown | Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Roy Acuff ," accessed November 23, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/300313.
Roy Acuff . (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 23, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/300313.
"Roy Acuff ." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 23 November 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
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