Notable Grand Ole Opry Performers, 5-8

In this segment of our list of notable Grand Ole Opry Performers, you will find Garth Brooks and Loretta Lynn.

5. Garth Brooks

Not one, not two, not three, but four of Garth Brooks's country records have each exceeded sales of ten million -- he's the only male country star in history to achieve such a feat. Though he's currently retired, Brooks has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and he even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in movies and television.

Hits such as "Friends in Low Places" have won him 2 Grammys, 11 Country Music Association Awards, and 24 Billboard Music Awards, but he claims that his membership in the Opry is his proudest career accomplishment.

6. Roy Acuff

In the 1930s and 1940s, no one sold more country music records than Roy Acuff. In 1938, this warbler became a regular performer and emcee on the Grand Ole Opry radio program. Known as the "King of Country Music," his performance of "The Great Speckled Bird" changed the Opry forever -- until then singers usually played second fiddle to the band.

7. Deford Bailey

When Deford Bailey was growing up in rural Tennessee, his parents gave him a harmonica, and history was made. Bailey's ability with the "harp" was unrivaled, and after he moved to Nashville, a few lucky breaks got him gigs playing on radio shows. In 1927, those breaks helped him land a spot on the Opry -- without a formal audition. Bailey was the first African-American included in the Opry cast and was one of the highest-paid stars of his day.

8. Loretta Lynn

Everyone's favorite "coal miner's daughter" joined the Opry after getting married, having four kids, and signing a recording contract -- all before age 25. Lynn and her husband, Mooney, distributed (largely by hand) her first single, "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl," and through word of mouth and steady airplay, the single reached number 14 on the country charts in 1960.

That impressive debut got Lynn her first appearance at the Opry that year, which boosted her career to the next level. She would go on to have dozens of megahits by blending her country girl image with some potent subject matter, such as birth control and deadbeat husbands. Coal Miner's Daughter, Lynn's autobiography, was made into an Academy Award-winning movie in 1980.

On the next page, you will find more notable Grand Ole Opry performers, including Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.

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