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.
Life's Railway To Heaven
Roy Acuff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave
Watch the curves, the hills, the tunnels never falter, never quail
Keep your hand upon the throttle and your eye upon the rail
Blessed Savior Thou wilt guide us 'till we reach that blissful shore
Where the angels wait to join us in God's praise forevermore
You behold the Union Depot into which your train will glide
There'll you meet the superintendent, God, the father, God, the son
With the hearty joyous plaudit weary pilgrim welcome home
Blessed Savior Thou wilt guide us 'till we reach that blissful shore
Where the angels wait to join us in God's praise forevermore
The lyrics of Roy Acuff's Life's Railway to Heaven paint a vivid picture of the journey of life as a ride on a mountain railroad. The song speaks of the need to be brave like the engineer to successfully navigate the twists and turns of life, from birth to death. The ongoing metaphor of a train ride is used to encourage listeners to keep their eyes fixed on the destination, to never falter, and to keep their hand on the throttle, representing the need to stay focused on one's goals and to maintain the momentum needed to reach them.
The song's most powerful lines come in the second verse when the singer speaks of the spirtual destination of the journey. The song speaks of the beliefs in a "Blessed Savior" who will guide us throughout life and will lead us to "that blissful shore" where the angels wait to join us in God's praise forevermore. The song serves as a reminder of the importance of faith in guiding and supporting us through life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is like a mountain railroad with an engineer that's brave
Life is an unpredictable journey, much like a train ride through rough, mountainous terrain. It takes immense courage and determination to maneuver through the ups and downs of life, just like the bravery of an experienced train driver.
We must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave
We must make sure that our journey through life is full of achievements and success from the very beginning till the very end.
Watch the curves, the hills, the tunnels never falter, never quail
In life, we should always be prepared to face new challenges and obstacles that come our way without losing our focus, courage, and determination.
Keep your hand upon the throttle and your eye upon the rail
We should always be in control of our actions and stay focused on our journey while keeping an eye on our goals and aspirations.
Blessed Savior Thou wilt guide us 'till we reach that blissful shore
Through the ups and downs of life, we must have faith in God, who will guide us on our journey through life till we reach our desired destination.
Where the angels wait to join us in God's praise forevermore
Our final destination is a place of eternal peace and happiness, where we'll be greeted by God's heavenly angels to celebrate our journey through life and our accomplishments.
As you roll across the trestle spanning Jordan's swelling tide
As we approach the end of our lives, we must cross a final bridge that presents its own set of challenges and requires us to remain steadfast and courageous.
You behold the Union Depot into which your train will glide
Our final destination awaits us, much like a train station where our journey comes to an end.
There'll you meet the superintendent, God, the father, God, the son
At the end of our journey, we'll meet God, who will be like the superintendent at a train station who will usher us into our final destination.
With the hearty joyous plaudit weary pilgrim welcome home
Having successfully completed the journey of life, we'll receive a warm and heartfelt welcome from God, celebrating our achievements and our arrival at our eternal home.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLIE D. D. TILLMAN, J. R. BAXTER, M. E. ABBEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
VA24541
Mr. Roy has been gone almost 20 years now, but it is wonderful eh left so many wonderful recording behind for us to enjoy. He remains the King of Country Music and a true American Treasure.
northerntraveller
As an old railroader just love this song, first heard it back in the "60s, it goes hand in glove with the Judgement Day Express by Orval Prophet, also from the "60s.
Lillie Farris
Beautiful voice
Kyle Johnson
Well, however many you have, I'm glad to be a friend of someone who's done quite a bit to revive this old stuff, I'm glad as well to be apart of that movement. God bless you Marc, for all the wonderful music you've brought back to the world! - Kyle.
catman5169
Now this IS country music at it's best...Mr.Roy, the Carter Family, Chuck Wagon Gang...today's stuff just doesn't do the trick.
Kyle Johnson
Thanks for viewing Marc, I also have two others you may be interested in, Faron Young's Alone With You, and Roy's Night Train to Memphis! Thanks again, oh, and congrats on getting over 1400 videos on in about a year! : )
mac26x98
had the pleasure of sitting in the audience many a nite at the old Ryman to hear Roy sing....he also owned, played, and sung at his "Cave" outside Clarksville, TN. a short ride from my duty station Ft. Campbell, KY.
Teri Wells
that's really neat
Art Warmanen
Best country music! Shared to Facebook!
Brian Lawrence
Thanks for posting this great music ..