Grandpa Jones

Grandpa Jones ( born October 20, 1913 as Louis Marshall Jones in Niagra, Kentucky, † 19 February 1998) was an American country musician.

Life

Louis Marshall Jones came from a poor family who lived in the industrial regions of Kentucky. Influenced by parents and grandparents, he began playing music at an early age. At 18, he first came on the radio. In Chicago, he joined the backing Bradley Kincaid. Here he received at the age of 22 years the nickname " Grandpa ", allegedly because of his infamous early morning indisposition. Jones took a liking to this name and made it his trademark. From now on, he denied all appearances in old-fashioned clothes and with glued-on mustache.

Career

Together with Kincaid and later as a soloist Grandpa Jones earned his living mainly in radio shows; Records were not produced in these years. During this period he taught himself the banjo playing. He remained this instrument faithfully his life, even over periods of time, as the banjo was almost entirely disappeared from the country music. Soon he was one of the leading musicians of the country scene. The early forties he teamed up with Merle Travis and the Delmore Brothers together a quartet Brown 's Ferry Four.

The outbreak of World War II interrupted his career first. Jones spent two years as a GI in Germany, where he founded the group Munich Mountaineers. In 1946, he joined with the King label from his first recording contract. A little later, an average hit was produced with Mountain Dew. In the same year he moved to Nashville, where he was a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Playing music, telling stories and jokes tearing it quickly became one of the most popular stars. For decades, his name was inextricably linked with the legendary radio show.

In 1952 he moved to RCA Victor, 1956 DECCA. He had his biggest hit in 1962 with the Jimmie Rodgers song T for Texas. From 1969 it belonged to the solid cast Hee- Haw television show, was offered in the country music and fun. As a quick-witted grandpa he was nationally known about the country scene out; his popularity reached its peak during these years.

Grandpa Jones was active until the eighties. He was regarded as the main representative of a tradition- oriented music. He was one of the driving forces behind the Association of Country Entertainers ACE that the trend unsuccessfully opposed braced himself in the seventies through to pop music. 1978 Jones was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Grandpa Jones died on 19 February 1998 at the age of 84 years.

Discography

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