Macon, Uncle Dave, 1870-1952
Variant namesDavid Harrison Macon (October 7, 1870 – March 22, 1952), known professionally as Uncle Dave Macon, was an American old-time banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian. Known as "The Dixie Dewdrop", Macon was 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. Music historian Charles Wolfe wrote, "If people call yodelling Jimmie Rodgers 'the father of country music,' then Uncle Dave must certainly be 'the grandfather of country music'." Macon's polished stage presence and lively personality have made him one of the most enduring figures of early country music.
Role | Title | Holding Repository | |
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referencedIn | Southern Folklife Collection Artist Name File, 1940-2005 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection. | |
contributorOf | Uncle Dave Macon Collection | Center for Popular Music, Middle Tennessee State University | |
referencedIn | Ed Kahn Collection, 1930-1999 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection. | |
referencedIn | Charles K. Wolfe Collection | Center for Popular Music, Middle Tennessee State University | |
referencedIn | Meade, Guthrie T., 1932-1991. Guthrie T. Meade collection, 1817-1991. | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | |
creatorOf | Butcher, Dwight, 1911-. John Edwards memorial collection, n.d. | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | |
referencedIn | Blackley, Becky. Becky Blackley collection, 1871-1995. | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | |
referencedIn | Burton, Thomas G. Burton-Manning Collection, 1960-1989, 1967-1972. | East Tennessee State University, TET |
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associatedWith | Bailey, DeFord, 1899-1982 | person |
associatedWith | Blackley, Becky. | person |
memberOf | Country Music Hall of Fame | corporateBody |
memberOf | Grand Ole Opry (Radio show : Nashville, Tn.) | corporateBody |
associatedWith | Kahn, Ed. | person |
associatedWith | Meade, Guthrie T., 1932-1991. | person |
associatedWith | Wolfe, Charles K. | person |
employeeOf | WSM (Radio station : Nashville, Tenn.) | corporateBody |
Place Name | Admin Code | Country | |
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Murfreesboro | TN | US | |
McMinnville | TN | US |
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Person
Birth 1870-10-07
Death 1952-03-22
Americans
English