Listen to Great Speckled Bird

One of the primary influences of virtually every first-generation honky tonk singer, Roy Acuff is a seminal figure in country music. Acuff provided a bridge between the gospel- and folk-influenced sounds of the Depression era and the post-war honky tonk sound. He was one country's biggest stars in the '40s, so well-loved that he was persuaded to run for governor of Tennessee in 1948. He became a fixture of the Grand Ole Opry almost until his death in 1992. In addition to being one of country music's most popular performers, Acuff was also one-half of the country's most well-known publishing teams, Acuff-Rose. ~ Rovi Staff