David "Stringbean" Akeman's Goin' to the Grand Ole Opry, released posthumously on Ovation Records in November 1976—three years after Akeman's murder—is a compilation preserving the Kentucky old-time banjoist's clawhammer and frailing style. Born in Annville, Kentucky in 1915, Akeman played with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys from 1942 to 1945 before joining the Grand Ole Opry in the direct comedic and musical tradition of his mentor Uncle Dave Macon. His nationally televised Hee Haw appearances made him a household name. The November 1973 murder of Stringbean and his wife Estelle at their farm remains one of country music's most tragic events; the posthumous Ovation release documents his banjo artistry and comedic song style for the historical record.
Tracklist
- 1 Goin' to the Grand Ole Opry 1:53
- 2 Cold Creek March 2:36
- 3 Banjo Convention 2:00
- 4 Two More Years and I'll Be Free 2:29
- 5 Little Maggie alt version 2:44
- 6 John Henry alt version 3:12
- 7 Short Life and Trouble 2:49
- 8 The Big 'Un Got Away 2:17
- 9 Ruby Are You Mad alt version 2:16
- 10 Old Cumberland Gap 1:29
