Musician. Remembered as "The Dixie Dewdrop," his polished stage presence and lively personality made him one of the most enduring figures of early country music. An old-time banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian, he bridged the gap between 19th-century American folk and vaudeville music and the radio/record music of the early 20th century. Born David Harrison Macon, his father served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. When he was 13 years old, the family moved to Nashville, Tennessee where his father ran a hotel he had purchased. It was there he became acquainted with musicians and artists and learned to play the banjo. After his father was murdered in 1886, the family moved to Readyville, Tennessee where his mother ran a stagecoach inn and he provided entertainment with his banjo. Following his marriage in 1889, he moved to a farm near Kittrell, Tennessee and opened a mule-driven freight line and would provide entertainment at various stops along the way. In 1920 he shut down his business due to competition for automobile-based freight lines and the following year, he made his professional debut at a Methodist church benefit in Morrison, Tennessee. This led to other performances in Nashville and Birmingham, Alabama and in 1923 he toured the southeastern US with other musicians, including fiddler Sid Harkreader. The following year he and Harkreader made their first recordings for Vocalion Records. Known for his chin whiskers, plug hat, gold teeth, and gates-ajar collar, he continued to achieve regional fame as a vaudeville performer before becoming the first star of the Grand Ole Opry in the latter half of the decade. He was one of the first performers at the WSM-AM radio station when it first opened in Nashville, in October 1925. In the 1930s he recorded for Okeh Records, Gennett Records, and Bluebird Records, the latter with the Delmore Brothers. He continued to perform up to the month prior to his death at the age of 81. During his career, he recorded over 170 songs, many of which are still available on records and CDs. In 1996 he was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The "Uncle Dave Macon Days" celebration in his honor occurs annually every second weekend in July in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on the grounds of the historic Cannonsburgh Village.