Minnie Pearl (1912-96)

Minnie Pearl was born Sarah Ophelia Colley, in Tennessee, in 1912.  Unlike her stage persona, Sarah was from a prosperous business family, and had studied at a “young ladies” school, where she majored in theater and dance.  She was well educated and intelligent. For a few years, in her early life, she taught dance, and then produced plays and musicals.  During this time, she began to develop the “Minnie Pearl” character. In 1940, she made her first appearance at the Grand Old Opry, with this comical act.

Her character was a “hillbilly girl” from a fictional town Grinders’ Switch, who dressed in homely clothes, wore a straw hat with the price tag still on it, and talked about her “country” friends and relatives. She made gentle fun of “hillbilly life” and about her own inability to “catch a feller”.

Her catchphrase was a loud “Howdeee – I’m just so proud to be here.”

She was well loved by Opry audiences and did comical songs and dances.

In her mid-30s she married Henry Cannon, who ran an air charter service and then became her manager.   She was good friends with Hank Williams senior, who was starting his career in the 1950s.  In later life, she would say to his grandson Hank III who resembles him, “Honey you’re a ghost.”

She appeared frequently in the long running country music show “Hee-haw” and was involved in business ventures, but she was also dedicated to charity work. After she recovered from breast cancer, she was involved in supporting the hospital where she had been treated.

 Her marriage was childless but happy and lasting.

In the early 1990s, she had a stroke and this brought her performing career to an end.  In 1996, she had another stoke and died.  There is a bronze statue of her in the Opry’s Ryman Auditorium, a tribute to her immense popularity