From the S&S archives:
Acuff, 'Opry' stars to entertain GIs

FRANKFURT (S&S) — Roy Acuff and his Grand Ole Opry gang flew into Frankfurt Airport Monday to start a whirlwind holiday tour of Area Comd bases and the king of country and western music is set on "bringing plenty of enjoyment and Christmas cheer to the boys."

The aging but bouncy Tennessee native, with his troupe of seven — including only one girl — is scheduled for 19 performances in widely scattered areas before the windup on Jan. 1.

The programs are sure to include the latest from the country and western music capital in Nashville with the Grand Ole Opry flavor.

Acuff has been an Opry headliner for 27 years and a professional for 30. He credits the rise of country and western music to the Opry, the recording industry in Nashville and the new Country Music Association.

"There is more of a beat now to the music than when I started," he said. "Formerly we just sang ballads but then they added the drums and a different beat. Only recently did they use drums on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time."

Reflecting back over the past, Acuff said, "You know rock 'n'roll hurt us a lot and then lately came the Beatles ... and the animals, bears and bugs."

What does he think of the Beatles? "They're all right .. must be since millions think so. They sing country music you know in a different style... I believe their hairdos put them over but have to give them credit for being smart."

A share-cropper's son raised near Knoxville, Tenn., Acuff estimates he has made between 200 and 300 recordings. These include the "Great Speckled Bird," which he says "gave me my start" and the largest seller of them all — "The Wabash Cannon Ball." Ten years ago the latter had sold over four million copies and was still going strong when Acuff left Columbia Records.

Today he has his own recording outfit and affiliates in scattered corners of the world under the control of the Acuff-Rose Corp., which he formed with the late songwriter Fred Rose many years ago.

Acuff, who is making his eighth trip to entertain troops in Europe, said he tried to slow down a little last year "but the boys wanted me to come back and I'm back bigger than ever."

Other veteran members at the cast, like sidekick comic and guitarist Pete (Oswald) Kirby, who has been with Muff for. years and missed only two shows, confirmed "he got restless staying at home."

Acuff, who got his start along with four brothers and sisters "entertaining ourselves down on the farm," and his troupe will appear in Frankfurt, Bad Kreuznach. Dexheim, Mains, Wackernheim, Neubrucke, Baumholder, Idar-Oberstein. Landstuhl, Vogelweh (Kaiserslautern), Zweibruecken, Pirmasens, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Fulda, Wildflecken and Hanau.

Other members of the cast are Jimmy Riddle, Piano and harmonica; guitarist-bassist Gene Martin; Benny Martin, who plays guitar, fiddle and bass; all-around musician Jimmy Fox; electric guitarist Harold (Shot) Jackson, and singer June Stearns.