Roy Acuff was born in Maynardville, Tennessee, to Ida Carr and Simon E. Neil Acuff (a Baptist preacher, judge and tenant farmer), the third of their five children. Originally, Acuff didn't plan to be a singer. Acuff sang in the church choir as a schoolboy, but he was more interested in sports, particularly baseball. Not only was he attracted to the sport, he had a wild streak — after his family moved to Knoxville, he was frequently arrested for fighting. Acuff continued to concentrate on playing ball, eventually becoming strong enough to earn a tryout for the major leagues. However, that tryout never took place. Before he had a chance to play, he was struck by a severe sunstroke while he was on a fishing trip; after the sunstroke, Acuff suffered a nervous breakdown. While he was recovering, he decided that a career in baseball was no longer possible, so he decided to become an entertainer. He began to learn the fiddle and became an apprentice of Doc Hauer, a local medicine show man.
While traveling with the medicine show, Acuff learned how to be a performer -- he learned how to sing, how to imitate, how to entertain, how to put on a show. Soon, Acuff joined the Tennessee Crackerjacks, who had a regular slot on Knoxville radio station WROL. Although he was performing frequently, he wasn't making any significant headway, failing to become a star in Tennessee. One song changed that situation -- "The Great Speckled Bird," an old gospel tune that had become popular with the Church of God sect. After another radio entertainer wrote the words out to the song, Acuff began performing it in his shows. Quickly, he became popular throughout the eastern part of Tennessee and was asked to record the song by ARC, a record label with national distribution. Acuff headed north to Chicago for a recording session, which resulted in 20 different songs. In addition to "The Great Speckled Bird," he recorded "Steamboat Whistle Blues" and "The Wabash Cannonball," another Tennessee standard that featured the singer imitating the sound of a train whistle; he also made a handful of risqué numbers during these sessions, which were released under the name the Bang Boys.
Music career
He then turned his attention to his father's fiddle and began playing in a traveling medicine show, often performing in blackface. He toured the Southern United States and eventually formed a band called "The Crazy Tennesseans".
In 1936, he recorded his two most enduring songs, the traditional The Great Speckled Bird and The Wabash Cannonball. He debuted at the Grand Ole Opry two years later. He was booked as a fiddler, and he should have played the Turkey Buzzard for a square dancing segment, but he decided to try and sing The Great Speckled Bird. His decision was not well received, however. Acuff became a regular on the Opry, forming a backing band called the Smoky Mountain Boys, led by friend and Dobro player Bashful Brother Oswald. By 1940 he was the star of the show.
The Great Roy Acuff LP (1964)Acuff's recording of The House of the Rising Sun on November 3, 1938 is the first known commercial recording of the song. He released several singles in the 1940s such as The Wreck on the Highway, Beneath That Lonely Mound of Clay and The Precious Jewel. During the 1940s he also appeared in eight movies.
In 1942, a man of many talents, he formed a music publishing venture with Chicago songwriter Fred Rose. Acuff-Rose Music became a country music phenomenon, owning huge numbers of copyrights including those by Marty Robbins, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and all of the songs of Hank Williams.
As his record sales declined in the late 1940s and 1950s, Acuff spent most of his time on the road, becoming one of the hottest tickets in country music. In 1962 he was the first living musician elected to The Country Music Hall of Fame. By the 1970s Acuff performed almost exclusively with the Grand Ole Opry, at Opryland USA, greatly legitimizing it as the top institution in country music. He made one rare appearance at Carlton Haney's Camp Spring Bluegrass Festival in 1971.
For his contribution to the recording industry, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located on 1541 Vine St. He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1991.
Political career
Acuff had a brief affair with politics, losing campaigns for the governor of Tennessee as a Republican in 1944 and 1948. In 1970, he campaigned for his friend Tex Ritter in his bid for the GOP nomination for a U.S. Senate seat from Tennessee.
Trivia
A popular legend is that Japanese troops during World War II would enter battle yelling, "To hell with Roosevelt! To hell with Babe Ruth! To hell with Roy Acuff!"
Acuff was initiated as an Entered Apprentice at the East Nashville Freemasonry Lodge in 1943, and raised to Master Mason in 1944. He was made a 33rd Degree Mason on 21 October 1985.
Acuff is thought to be one inspiration for Henry Gibson's character Haven Hamilton in Robert Altman's film Nashville. The fictionalized character was reportedly a composite of several well-known musicians, including Acuff and Hank Snow.
Acuff on recording: "A little secret of my policy in the studio ... whenever you once decide that you are going to record a number, put everything you've got into it. Don't say, 'Oh, we'll take it over and do it again' because every time you go through it you lose just a little something ... [l]et's do it the first time and to hell with the rest of them" - on the classic album Will the Circle Be Unbroken.
U.S. Olympian high jumper Amy Acuff is his distant cousin. Some sources erroneously list her as his daughter.
Jole Blon
Roy Acuff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be waiting, in Louisi- an - a,
And when I hear your sweet voice,
I'll rejoice, I'll be happy,
And saving my kisses for you.
Jole Blon, Cajun Angel,
Let me tell you how I love you,
That we would be married,
And I'm waiting, still waiting for you.
Oh ho ho, ah ha ha.
When your hair turns to silver,
I'll still call you, Delta Flower,
Pretty Blond I still love you,
I love you I promise,
And I'm patiently waiting for you.
Oh ho ho, ah ha ha.
The lyrics of Roy Acuff's song Jole Blon are about a man who is waiting for his Cajun angel, Jole Blon, in the shadows of Louisiana. The singer is eagerly waiting to hear Jole Blon's sweet voice and when he does, he will rejoice and be happy. He's saving his kisses for her and still in love despite the passage of time. The song highlights their promise to marry in the springtime, and the singer is still waiting for her.
The lyrics seem to represent devotion and patience in love, despite life's challenges. The singer's deep love for Jole Blon is not limited to her physical beauty but endures even as she grows older. The lyrics "When your hair turns to silver, I'll still call you, Delta Flower" illustrates the singer's unwavering commitment to Jole Blon. "Delta Flower" could reference the Mississippi Delta or the delta-like landscape of Louisiana.
Line by Line Meaning
In the evening, in the shadows,
When night falls and darkness prevails,
I'll be waiting, in Louisi-an-a,
I'll be patiently waiting for you in Louisiana,
And when I hear your sweet voice,
Whenever I hear your angelic voice,
I'll rejoice, I'll be happy,
I'll feel elated and joyful,
And saving my kisses for you.
And I won't waste my kisses on anyone else but you.
Jole Blon, Cajun Angel,
Jole Blon, you are my Cajun Angel,
Let me tell you how I love you,
Allow me to express the depths of my love for you,
In the springtime you promised,
You made a promise to me in the springtime,
That we would be married,
That we would unite in marriage,
And I'm waiting, still waiting for you.
And I'm still waiting patiently for you to fulfill your promise.
When your hair turns to silver,
Even when you age and your hair turns gray,
I'll still call you, Delta Flower,
I'll still refer to you as my beautiful Delta Flower,
Pretty Blond I still love you,
Despite the passage of time, I still love you, pretty blond,
I love you I promise,
I solemnly promise that I love you,
And I'm patiently waiting for you.
And I'm continuing to wait patiently for you.
Oh ho ho, ah ha ha.
These lines are just joyful expressions of happiness and devotion.
Lyrics © GLAD MUSIC CO.
Written by: ACUFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frances Pirlo
Still my favorite rendition & I’ve heard them all. Thanks for the posting.
Pat H
Thanks SO much for posting this. I’ve tried for years to find this version. My dad loved this song and had an old Decca record of it. It is wonderful to hear it again, with all the memories it evokes.
D man Wainright
Man, that harmonica is ON! Great version of a great song...
Ruth Boykin
Love this! Always listen Ed to the Cajun version as that is the one I first heard!
JD Ramsey
Good one by Mr. Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys covering this great Cajun tune.
J V
I drink and skate around my pond to this
James Chavez
I Think This To Don Rumsfeld As Jolee Don