Grandpa Jones

Performing as Grandpa Jones, he played the guitar or banjo, yodeled, and sang mostly old-time ballads. By 1937, Jones had made his way to West Virginia, where Cousin Emmy taught Jones the art of the clawhammer style of banjo playing, which gave a rough backwoods flavor to his performances. In 1942, Jones joined WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was there that he met fellow Kentuckian Merle Travis. In 1943, they made their recording debuts together for Syd Nathans upstart King Records. Jones was making records under his own name for King by 1944 and had his first hit with "Its Raining Here This Morning". His recording career was put on hold when he enlisted in the United States Army during World War II. Discharged in 1946, he recorded again for King. In March 1946, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee and started performing on the Grand Ole Opry and married Ramona Riggins on October 14, 1946. As an accomplished performer herself, she would take part in his performances. Jones vaudeville humor was a bridge to television. His more famous songs include "T For Texas", "Are You From Dixie", "Night Train To Memphis" and "Mountain Dew". He also wrote "Eight More Miles To Louisville".

In 1969, Jones became a charter cast member on the long-running television show Hee Haw, often responding to the shows skits with his trademark phrase "Outrageous". He also played banjo, by himself or with banjo player David "Stringbean" Akeman. A musical segment featured in the early years had Jones and "his lovely wife Ramona" singing while ringing bells held in their hands and feet. A favorite skit had off-camera cast members ask, "Hey Grandpa, whats for supper?" He would describe a delicious, country-style meal ("Buttermilk biscuits smothered in chicken gravy, home-fried potatoes, collard greens and Grandmothers fresh-baked blueberry pie à la mode!" The cast would reply, "Yum, yum!"), though he sometimes would describe something not so good, ("Because you were bad, thawed out TV dinners!" The cast would scoff, "Yuck!") A running gag was a window that he pretended to polish had no glass. Jones would slip his fingers through the empty frame. He also joined Buck Owens, Roy Clark and Kenny Price in a gospel segment at the end of some shows.

A resident of rural Ridgetop, Tennessee outside of Nashville, he was a neighbor 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. Jones testified at the trial of the killers, his testimony helping to secure a conviction. He identified a firearm found in their possession as one he had given to Akeman.

In 1978, Jones was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His autobiography, Everybodys Grandpa: Fifty Years Behind The Mike was published in 1984 (written with assistance from Charles K. Wolfe).

In early January 1998, Jones suffered two strokes after his second show performance at the Grand Ole Opry. He died at 7:00 p.m. Central Time on February 19, 1998 at the McKendree village Home Health Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, at age 84. He was buried in the Luton Memorial Methodist Church cemetery in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.

Discography

Grandpa Jones Sings His Greatest Hits (1954)

Country Music Hall of Fame Series (1992) MCA

Grandpa Jones and The Browns Ferry Four 16 Sacred Gospel Songs, King Records

Grandpa Jones Yodeling Hits (1963) Monument

Grandpa Jones Remembers The Browns Ferry Four (1966) Monument

Singles

1944"Its Raining Here This Morning"

1946"Eight More Miles To Louisville"

1947"Mountain Dew"

1947"Old Rattler"

1959"The All-American Boy"

1962"T for Texas"

1963"Night Train To Memphis"

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