David "Stringbean" Akeman

David Akeman (June 17, 1915 – November 10, 1973) better known as Stringbean (or String Bean), was an American singer-songwriter, musician, comedian, and semiprofessional baseball player best known for his role as a main cast member on the hit television show Hee Haw and as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Akeman was well known for his "old-fashioned" banjo-picking style, careful mix of comedy and music, and his memorable stage wardrobe (which consisted of a long nightshirt tucked into a pair of short blue jeans belted around his knees — giving him the comical appearance of a very tall man with stubby legs). Akeman and his wife were shot and murdered by burglars in their rural Tennessee home near Ridgetop in 1973.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 17, 1916 (Annville), Died November 10, 1973 (Ridgetop)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1945

Roles Represented in DAHR: banjo

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia C4354 10-in. 2/13/1945 Rocky road blues Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, banjo  
Columbia C4355 10-in. 2/13/1945 Kentucky waltz Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, banjo  
Columbia C4356 10-in. 2/13/1945 True life blues Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Male vocal duet, with string band instrumentalist, banjo  
Columbia C4358 10-in. 2/13/1945 Goodbye old pal Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, banjo  
Columbia C4359 10-in. 2/13/1945 Footprints in the snow Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Male vocal solo, with string band instrumentalist, banjo  
Columbia C4360 10-in. 2/13/1945 Blue grass special Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band instrumentalist, banjo  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Akeman, David "Stringbean"," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/371753.

Akeman, David "Stringbean". (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/371753.

"Akeman, David "Stringbean"." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/371753

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