Minnie Pearl

[Kaz ~:~]

Minnie Pearl

Date of Birth 25 October 1912, Centerville, Tennessee, USA

Date of Death 4 March 1996, Nashville, Tennessee, USA (stroke)

Birth Name Sarah Colley

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Sarah Colley studied dramatics in Belmont College in Nashville, intending to be a serious actress, but while touring with an Atlanta company, she created the Minnie Pearl character that became her life's work. Her first Grand Old Opry appearance was on the radio show in 1940, followed by 27 years of touring. She was diagnosed with cancer in 1985, and recovered after a double mastectomy. A mild stroke in June 1991 forced her to give up performing.

Spouse
Henry Cannon (23 February 1947 - 4 March 1996 (her death)

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Interred at Mount Hope Cemetery in Franklin, TN.
Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1975.

Voted Country Music Woman of the Year in 1996.

Received the American Cancer Society's Courage Award in 1987.

In 1991 was one of 13 recipients of the National Medal of Art.

Though not a country hitmaker, she did place a song in the top 10 of Billboard magazine's country singles chart in 1966 -- "Giddyup Go Answer," a recited answer song offering a different perspective to Red Sovine's No. 1 hit "Giddyup Go."

The costume she wore on stage (red and white checkered dress, straw hat with price tag still on it, etc.) was based on clothes she herself had picked out from a thrift store.

Until his death in 1958, was frequently teamed with actor/comedian Rod Brasfield on the Grand Ole Opry.

Minnie Pearl had two fast food chains in the southern United States during the 1960s and 1970s. They were "Minnie Pearl's Roast Beef" and "Minnie Pearl's Chicken." The slogan for both chains was "Howww-deeee-licious!"

She was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1992 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, DC.

Good friend of Steve Wariner.

Profiled in book "Funny Ladies" by Stephen Silverman.

Appeared weekly on The Nashville Network's "Nashville Now" from 1984 to 1991 in a Friday night segment called "Let Minnie Steal Your Joke" in which Pearl would read gags submitted by viewers to the studio audience and the most popular by the audience's response would receive a prize.

First country music performer to be surprised with their life story on the 1950's series "This Is Your Life". Though stunned by the surprise, Minnie Pearl knew this was her big chance on network television and milked her appearance for all the comedy she could muster, leading to a highly active career as a guest performer on scores of non-country variety programs and talk shows.

Named by Arthur Godfrey as one of the ten greatest television performers of all time for the book "The Book of Lists".