Grandpa Jones

Grandpa Jones (October 20, 1913 - February 19, 1998) was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer.

Related Topics:
October 20 - 1913 - February 19 - 1998 - American - Banjo - Country - Gospel music

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Born Louis Marshall Jones in Niagra, Kentucky, he spent his teenage years in Akron, Ohio where he began singing old time country music tunes on a local radio show. By 1935 his pursuit of a musical career took him to WBZ (AM) radio in Boston, Massachusetts where he met musician/songwriter, Bradley Kincaid who gave him the nickname "Grandpa" due to his off-stage grumpiness at early-morning radio shows. Jones liked the name and decided to create a stage persona based around it.

Related Topics:
Niagra - Kentucky - Akron, Ohio - WBZ (AM) - Boston, Massachusetts - Bradley Kincaid

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Performing as "Granpa Jones," he played the banjo, yodeled, and sang mostly old-time ballads. Some of his more famous songs include, "T is for Texas" and "Mountain Dew." Moving to Nashville, Tennessee, he became part of the Grand Ole Opry and was a regular cast member on the popular TV show, Hee Haw.

Related Topics:
Banjo - Yodeled - Ballad - Mountain Dew - Nashville, Tennessee - Grand Ole Opry - Hee Haw

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Jones was one of the most popular cast members of the long-running Hee Haw. A favorite skit had cast members asking "Hey Grandpa, what's for supper?" to which he'd either describe either a delicious, country-style meal ("Buttermilk buiscuts smothered in chicken gravy, home-fried potatoes, collard greens and Grandmother's fresh-baked blueberry pie a la mode!" and the cast would reply, "Yum, yum!") or, more often than not, something terrible ("Because you were bad, thawed out TV dinners!" at which the cast would scoff, "Yuk!"). Jones also joined castmates Buck Owens, Roy Clark and Kenny Price with a gospel segment at the end of each Hee Haw show.

Related Topics:
Hee Haw - TV dinners - Buck Owens - Roy Clark - Kenny Price

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A resident of rural Ridgetop, Tennessee outside of Nashville, he was a neigbor and friend of fellow musician David "Stringbean" Akeman. On the morning of November 11, 1973, Jones discovered the bodies of Akeman and his wife who had been murdered during the night by robbers.

Related Topics:
Ridgetop, Tennessee - David "Stringbean" Akeman

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In 1978 Grandpa Jones was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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In January of 1998, he suffered a stroke after a performance and passed away a few weeks later. He is interred in the Luton Memorial Methodist Church cemetery in Nashville.

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