Acuff, (Claxton) Roy (1903–1992)

US country music singer and songwriter. Sometime host of the Grand Ole Opry radio programme, Acuff's unique moaning singing style influenced musicians such as Hank Williams. Acuff was at the height of his fame in the 1930s and 1940s, and his most famous songs include ‘The Great Speckled Bird’ and ‘Wabash Cannon Ball’.

Acuff began to play publicly as a singer and fiddler in 1932. He performed on the radio in the 1930s with the Tennessee Cracklers, then joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938 with the Smoky Mountain Boys. He became known as ‘the King of Country Music’ during World War II, and he appeared in several films and toured the USA throughout the 1940s. Although his style of country music was somewhat pushed aside by the late 1950s, he continued to appear on Grand Ole Opry. Acuff was also co-owner of Acuff-Rose music publishing.