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 George Dewey Hay - Norfolk, Virginia
N 36° 55.601 W 076° 15.692
18S E 387643 N 4087482
Known at the “Solemn Ole Judge,” George D. Hay, was the founder of the Grand Ole Opry.
Waymark Code: WMNK4C
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 03/26/2015
Views: 2
George Dewey Hay was born in Attica, Indiana on November 9, 1895. He was originally a newspaper reporter for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, but in 1923 the Commercial Appeal launched its own radio station (WMC) and Hay became the stations late night radio announcer. In 1924, Hay traveled to Chicago to become the host of the National Barn Dance on WLS. In 1925, Hay moved to WSM in Nashville, Tennessee, and became the host of the WSM Barn Dance. The Barn Dance followed the NBC National Broadcast of the “Music Appreciation Hour.” In November 1925, George Hay who billed himself as “The Solemn Ole Judge,” introduced fiddle player “Uncle” Jimmy Thompson, and harmonica player DeFord Bailey by saying, "For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the Grand Ole Opry.” With that announcement the “Grand Ole Opry” was born and has become the longest running radio show in the world. The show has been continually broadcast every Saturday Night since 1925.With his trademark boat whistle and his traditional “Let’er Go Boys,” Judge Hay served as the host of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 20-years. “Judge” George D. Hay was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966. Late in life, Hay retired to the Tidewater area of Virginia where he died on May 8, 1968. He is resting in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia. Source/Credit: ( visit link)
Description:
Known as "the Solemn Old Judge," that's exactly what Grand Ole Opry announcer George Hay represented to the country music community. Originally a print journalist, Hay switched to radio when the newspaper that employed him, the Memphis-based Commercial Appeal, bought a station and hired him as a late-night announcer. Over time, Hay developed his "Judge" persona, blowing a steamboat whistle during every on-air appearance as a trademark. He left the South in 1924 and moved to Chicago, where he took a job hosting the popular National Barn Dance radio program. It wasn't until he relocated to Nashville's WSM in 1925, however, that Hay's legend in country & western circles was cemented. After WSM aired an opera before his Barn Dance show, Hay joked that his show was a "Grand Ole Opry." The name stuck, and Hay was invited to act as the announcer and booking agent for the nascent variety show. Though a beloved figure, Hay's nickname was all too truthful, and he proved unable to change with the times, complaining when the Western swing stars of the '30s and '40s used electric instruments. He eventually left his MC duties at The Grand Old Opry in 1947. Hay became editor of Pickin’ and Singin’ News in 1953 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame one decade later.
Source/Credit: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-d-hay-mn0000995530/biography
Date of birth: 11/09/1895
Date of death: 05/08/1968
Area of notoriety: Entertainment
Marker Type: Headstone
Setting: Outdoor
Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily: Dawn to Dusk
Fee required?: No
Web site: [Web Link]
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