DeFord Bailey

DeFord Bailey (December 14, 1899 – July 2, 1982) was an American country music star from the 1920s until 1941, and the first performer on the Grand Ole Opry. Bailey played several instruments but is best known for his harmonica tunes. A grandson of slaves, Bailey was born near the Bellwood community in Smith County, Tennessee, and learned to play the harmonica at the age of three when he contracted polio (or as it was called at the time 'infantile paralysis'). During his year-long confinement to bed he developed his distinctive style of playing. In 1918, he moved to Nashville performing locally as an amateur. His first documented radio appearance was June 19, 1926 on WSM in Nashville. On December 10, 1927, he premiered his trademark...