Country Music Comedienne. Born in Centerville, Tennessee, her parents had debutante balls and college in mind for their daughter, who'd been stage-struck with a love for vaudeville and drama since an early age. While she was indeed a college graduate, that didn't stop her from sneaking into tent shows, which was against her parents wishes. While producing an amateur musical comedy in Baileyton, Alabama. Around 1936, she met a young mountain woman from whom she based her famed and beloved character, Miss Minnie Pearl, on. Her first performance onstage as Minnie Pearl was in 1939 in Aiken, South Carolina, but it was her introduction to the audience of the world famous Grand Ole Opry in 1940 at age 28 that catapulted her to stardom through live performances, radio and eventually television. For over 50 years, she entertained the music world with Minnie's tales of her fictional hometown, Grinder's Switch, Tennessee, stepping onstage proclaiming "Howdeee! I'm just so proud to be here" in her straw hat adorned with flowers and a $1.98 price tag. In reality, she was known as a gracious lady of refinement, hospitality and down to earth charm, living down the street from the Tennessee Governor's Mansion and known as a competitive tennis player at the local country club. Married to Henry Cannon for over 50 years, she went on to continue her performances on the Opry, her home base, but also entertained throughout the world for charitable causes and won numerous awards for her numerous contributions to humanity. In 1975, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In the early 1990s a series of strokes forced her to retire from the stage, but the industry and its fans did not forget their beloved Minnie Pearl. A breast cancer survivor and spokeswoman since 1985, her cancer later returned, claiming her life on March 4, 1996, at her Nashville home. A museum erected outside of the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, tells the story of one of America's most beloved and remembered entertainers. Minnie Pearl was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1992, which is the highest award given to artists by the U.S. government. This award was presented to her by President George H.W. Bush.