Onie Wheeler the one doing the Train Whistle and playing the Harmonica, is the only one who has ever died on the Circle,on the Stage of the Grand Ole Opry -May 26,1984,while he was singing a Gospel song on the WSM Grand Ole Gospel Show, a Church Show hosted by the Son of Hank Snow, the Rev Jimmie Snow. Onie was at Pearl Harbor in the US Army when it was hit by the Japanese. He also was a Rockabilly Singer on Sun Records,and toured with Elvis Presley.
# Bubba Still "This 1967 episode is a humorous and entertaining country music themed variety show. It features Roy Acuff and His Smoky Mountain Boys, Roy Clark, Homer & Jethro, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, Boots Randolph, and Sue Thompson."
In the early seventies when I was in my early teens, I was a big fan of Roy Acuff. My parents were out somewhere and saw a sign for a garage sale. They brought home to me a stack of 78rpm records mostly of Roy Acuff, with some others by Grandpa Jones, Uncle Dave Macon and even one by the Skillet Lickers. I was ecstatic! Has anyone put together a Roy Acuff tribute band?
Unfortunately there is no “tribute band” although if you listen to the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, they do many of Acuff’s songs. The last fiddle player Mr. Acuff hired played for them until his passing (Dan Kelly) and Mike Webb, who owns the dobro that Oswald played is in the group and plays Oswald’s style (which he learned directly from Os himself). I highly recommend that band
