Acuff, Roy

In 1932, Acuff joined Dr. Hauer's Medicine Show, playing the fiddle and generally acting the fool to sell Mocoton Tonic, “the cure for everything.” Into his musical act, he incorporated a yo-yo and an aptitude for balancing objects on his nose. In 1934, Acuff formed a band, the Tennessee Crackerjacks (later renamed the Crazy Tennesseeans ), which worked on radio stations in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1936, a gospel tune from his repertoire, “The Great Speckled Bird,” attracted...