Uncle Dave Macon
Old-Time (Traditional)
David Harrison Macon, known as “Uncle Dave Macon” and billed as “the Dixie Dewdrop,” was a vaudeville-rooted banjo virtuoso and comic showman who became one of the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry. He bridged 19th-century minstrel and folk traditions with the early commercial country era.
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- Born October 7, 1870, in Smartt Station, Warren County, Tennessee; died March 22, 1952, in Murfreesboro.
- Turned professional around 1921, after years running a mule-and-wagon freight business.
- Made his first commercial recordings in 1924 for Vocalion in New York.
- Became a fixture of the WSM broadcast that grew into the Grand Ole Opry and is widely regarded as the show's first real star.
- Formed his band the Fruit Jar Drinkers in 1927, often recording with guitarist Sam McGee.
- Appeared in the film Grand Ole Opry (1940).
- Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966.
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Sam McGeePlayed on recording with Uncle Dave Macon
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Uncle Dave MaconPlayed on recording with Uncle Dave Macon