The Smokey Mountain Boys

Many older American can remember the tunes of Roy Acuff and his Smokey Mountain Boys flowing over the radio airwaves delighting the listener with bluegrass and country tunes. The King of Country Music is best known for several of the Smokey Mountain Boys number one hits. A few well known melodies are "The Wabash Cannonball," "The Great Speckled Bird," "I Will Forgive You," "But I Can’t Forget," and "Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel #8)."

Several of the songs that Mr. Acuff and His Smokey Mountain Boys sing feature an overtone of a Christian background and are classified in the gospel music category. Mr. Acuff started his career in 1938 with gigs at the Grand Ole Opry. Growing up in the mountains of North Carolina the group called themselves the Crazy Tennesseans transforming into His Smokey Mountain Boys after two short years at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. They stayed performing in Nashville through the years until 1989.

Opryland has a Roy Acuff Museum and the Roy Acuff Theatre (which he opened in 1979) in his honor. Opryland was such apart of the Acuff life that land was purchased from him in 1973 for the Dunbar Cave State Park. Opryland was his home in the 1980’s until is death in 1992. 1541 Vine Street has a Hollywood Walk of Fame star located his in his honor. Roy Acuff and His Smokey Mountain Boys music is as popular today as it was during their lifetimes. View a taste of their music can be found on U-Tube and you may instantly become a fan.