It was 69 years ago this weekend, March 16, 1946 that Grandpa Jones made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry and it was 18 years ago this weekend on March 15, 1997 that Grandpa celebrated 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Louis Marshall Jones was born on October 20, 1913 in Niagra, Henderson County, Kentucky. His family moved to Akron, Ohio where he performed on various radio stations and entered talent contests. In 1935 he hooked up with Bradley Kincaid in Clarksburg, West Virginia and it was then that he started appearing as Grandpa Jones. From there they went to Wheeling, West Virginia. After serving in the Army in World War II, he came to Nashville and appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in 1946. In 1978 he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Here is the TNN broadcast from March 15, 1997 when Grandpa Jones was honored for 50 years of Opry membership. Johnny Russell is the host, and the show featured Tommy Hunter, Connie Smith and Doyle Dykes.
Thanks for posting!! And thank you so much for the "Opry Blog!"
ReplyDeleteFred, Bismarck:
ReplyDeleteGod love Grandpa; we'll not see his like again. He kept the flame of country alive after it had been extinguished about everyplace else in the mainstream. And always had a recording contract, too, even with few "hits" to speak of after the 1940s. The man did it with plain old showmanship ... which today's "stars" are so short on.