Roy Acuff

Singer, songwriter, fiddler, bandleader, music publisher, show-business booster, Roy Acuff was the "King of Country Music" for over 50 years, and continued to perform regularly at the Grand Ole Opry until shortly before his death at the age of 89.

As a teenager he suffered a sunstroke, which prevented him from realizing his ambition to play pro baseball. He took up the fiddle and later joined a...