Hay-George Dewey
George Dewey Hay was born November 9, 1895 in Attica, Indiana. Quite a visionary, he played “a vital role in the commercializing and promoting of country music,” and is the founder of WSM’s Grand Ole Opry. He began his career after returning from WWI as a reporter for the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn then launched into WMC-AM in January 1923 where he became a late-night radio announcer. In May 1924 he left to go to WLS-AM in Chicago where he became an announcer on a program that became National Barn Dance. It was back to Nashville in November of 1925. Uncle Jimmy Thompson a 78-year-old fiddler got a strong listening reaction and Hay launched a Saturday night old-time music affair. Hay became known as “The Solemn Old Judge,” to his listeners. He began promoting several musicians, one a Harmonic Wizard, DeFord Bailey who played a classical train song, The Pan American Blues, named for the Louisville & Nashville RR passenger train, The Pan American. Hay announces, “For the past hour, you have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera and from now on we will present the Grand Ole Opry.” Thus, he was dubbed as creating (founding) The Grand Ole Opry.
He also became involved in writing for the Rural Radio one of the first magazines about country music, developing the Opry for NBC radio announcing and other various announcing and performing engagements. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame while still living in 1966 and died May 8, 1968 in Virginia Beach Virginia. He was married to Lena Jamison.
Thanks to: Country Music Hall of Fame for photo; Wikipedia for photo and information.
