finetune artist: Uncle Dave Macon

b. David Harrison Macon, 7 October 1870, Smart Station, Warren County, Tennessee, USA, d. 22 March 1952, Readyville, Tennessee, USA. Macon's family moved to Nashville when his father, a Confederate captain in the Civil War, bought the city's Broadway Hotel. Macon learned to play the banjo and acquired songs from the vaudeville artists who stayed at the hotel. He married in 1889 and started the Macon Midway Mule And Wagon Transportation Company, which was later described in the song "From Here To Heaven". His mule-drawn wagons carried goods between Murfreesboro and Woodbury. Macon performed at venues along the way. However, the business collapsed following the advent of a motorized competitor in 1920. Although he had worked as a jovial entertainer for many years, he never thought of turning professional until a pompous farmer asked him to play at a wedding. Macon demanded $15, certain that he would be turned down; it was accepted and became his first professional booking. At the age of 52, when Uncle Dave Macon launched his professional career, his songs and humour proved so popular that he was soon known all over the south. He became the first star of the Grand Ole Opry when it was launched in 1925 with material covering folk tunes, vaudeville, blues, country and gospel music.

Listen to Uncle Dave Macon at Finetune.

All In Down and Out
When The Train Comes Along
Tennessee Tornado
Uncle Dave's Beloved Solo