Uncle Dave Macon

Pioneering American Banjo Player and Country Music Performer

American banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian Born: 7 October 1870 in Smartt Station, Tennessee, USA Died: 22 March 1952 in Readyville, Tennessee, USA Known for his chin whiskers, plug hat, gold teeth, and gates-ajar collar, he gained regional fame as a vaudeville performer in the early 1920s before becoming the first star of the Grand Ole Opry in the latter half of the decade. Macon's music is considered the ultimate bridge between 19th-century American folk and vaudeville music and the phonograph and radio-based music of the early 20th-century. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966.