born Sept. 15, 1903, Maynardsville, Tenn., U.S.
died Nov. 23, 1992, Nashville, Tenn.
U.S. singer, songwriter, and fiddler.
He turned to music after an aborted baseball career and gained immediate popularity with his recordings of "The Great Speckled Bird" and "The Wabash Cannonball." Reasserting the mournful musical traditions of Southeastern rural whites, he became a national radio star on the " Grand Ole Opry " broadcasts. In 1942 he and songwriter Fred Rose founded Acuff-Rose Publishing, the first publishing house exclusively for country music. In 1962 Acuff was elected the first living member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.