If Jimmie Rodgers is the Father of Country Music, then Uncle Dave Macon is surely the Grand-Father of Country Music. He was born October 7, 1870 in Tennessee and grew up with music all around him. After performing locally in Tennessee for 20 years, he first recorded in New York City in 1924, years before Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family were discovered in Bristol, Tennessee.
He was the top performer of the original Grand Ole Opry in 1926, and would be a mainstay on the show until his death in 1952. “The Dixie Dewdrop” won over thousands, millions of fans with his plug-hat, gold teeth, chin-whiskers, love for laughter, innovative banjo playing, and his million-dollar Tennessee smile.