Notable Grand Ole Opry Performers, 12-14

Here are our final three notable Grand Ole Opry performers, starting with "Uncle Dave" Macon.

12. "Uncle Dave" Macon

One of the first stars of the Opry, David Harrison Macon was one of the major catalysts behind country music's popularity. Southern folk music from the late 1800s and early 1900s might not have made the leap to radio, stage, and television had it not been for the magnetic quality of Uncle Dave and his performances.

Macon played the banjo and sang at the Opry -- which he had a hand in establishing -- for more than 25 years. He was a workhorse of a musician and influenced players for decades to come.

13. Grandpa Jones

It's a good thing Louis Marshall Jones was a successful country artist for more than seven decades -- it gave him time to grow into the nickname he was given at age 22 after being told he sounded "old and grouchy" on radio shows. The singer and banjo player, who was known as a country music purist, promised fans that he would "keep it country" while other styles influenced the genre.

Jones' witty repartee made him a star on the TV show Hee Haw, and he was one of the few stars to celebrate 50 years on the Opry stage.

14. Elvis Presley

The most famous and successful name in modern music didn't actually fair very well when he appeared at the Opry in 1954. It was Presley's only performance at the Opry -- the audience wasn't impressed by his raucous rockabilly style.

An angry Presley left after the show, swearing never to return. Who could blame him? The Opry manager at the time told him to leave music forever and go back to driving a truck. Obviously, Elvis didn't take his advice and went on to break every music industry record there was.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Helen Davies, Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve Theunissen