Herman Crook, 89, Harmonica Player, Of Grand Ole Opry
AP
Published: June 11, 1988 in The New York Times
"Herman Crook, a harmonica player who was the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, died today of a heart attack at Park View Medical Center. He was 89 years old.
Mr. Crook was the last remaining charter member of the Grand Ole Opry, founded in 1925. He returned to the Opry last weekend after a nine-week absence because of health problems.
Mr. Crook, orphaned early in life, was reared in Nashville by brothers and sisters, from whom he learned songs. In 1926, he led a country music string band on the Saturday Night Barn Dance and went to the Opry in 1927. The band is the only act left that represents the original tradition of the Opry; it plays for cloggers, who perform traditional mountain dancing.
Mr. Crook was among the Opry musicians who participated in Nashville's first recording sessions in 1928. By the 1960's, the Opry had become a modern, highly professional program, and the traditional sound of Mr. Crook's group, called the Crook Brothers Band, became a less prominent part of the show.
He is survived by his wife, Helen, five sons, two daughters, 19 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's my hope I will be remembered, not for an abundant string of hit records, but for carrying the torch of tradition and stretching the boundaries of Appalachia and old time country music farther than anyone could have ever imagined." ~ Herman M. Crook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AP
Published: June 11, 1988 in The New York Times
"Herman Crook, a harmonica player who was the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, died today of a heart attack at Park View Medical Center. He was 89 years old.
Mr. Crook was the last remaining charter member of the Grand Ole Opry, founded in 1925. He returned to the Opry last weekend after a nine-week absence because of health problems.
Mr. Crook, orphaned early in life, was reared in Nashville by brothers and sisters, from whom he learned songs. In 1926, he led a country music string band on the Saturday Night Barn Dance and went to the Opry in 1927. The band is the only act left that represents the original tradition of the Opry; it plays for cloggers, who perform traditional mountain dancing.
Mr. Crook was among the Opry musicians who participated in Nashville's first recording sessions in 1928. By the 1960's, the Opry had become a modern, highly professional program, and the traditional sound of Mr. Crook's group, called the Crook Brothers Band, became a less prominent part of the show.
He is survived by his wife, Helen, five sons, two daughters, 19 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's my hope I will be remembered, not for an abundant string of hit records, but for carrying the torch of tradition and stretching the boundaries of Appalachia and old time country music farther than anyone could have ever imagined." ~ Herman M. Crook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Herman Crook, 89, Harmonica Player, Of Grand Ole Opry
AP
Published: June 11, 1988 in The New York Times
"Herman Crook, a harmonica player who was the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, died today of a heart attack at Park View Medical Center. He was 89 years old.
Mr. Crook was the last remaining charter member of the Grand Ole Opry, founded in 1925. He returned to the Opry last weekend after a nine-week absence because of health problems.
Mr. Crook, orphaned early in life, was reared in Nashville by brothers and sisters, from whom he learned songs. In 1926, he led a country music string band on the Saturday Night Barn Dance and went to the Opry in 1927. The band is the only act left that represents the original tradition of the Opry; it plays for cloggers, who perform traditional mountain dancing.
Mr. Crook was among the Opry musicians who participated in Nashville's first recording sessions in 1928. By the 1960's, the Opry had become a modern, highly professional program, and the traditional sound of Mr. Crook's group, called the Crook Brothers Band, became a less prominent part of the show.
He is survived by his wife, Helen, five sons, two daughters, 19 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's my hope I will be remembered, not for an abundant string of hit records, but for carrying the torch of tradition and stretching the boundaries of Appalachia and old time country music farther than anyone could have ever imagined." ~ Herman M. Crook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AP
Published: June 11, 1988 in The New York Times
"Herman Crook, a harmonica player who was the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, died today of a heart attack at Park View Medical Center. He was 89 years old.
Mr. Crook was the last remaining charter member of the Grand Ole Opry, founded in 1925. He returned to the Opry last weekend after a nine-week absence because of health problems.
Mr. Crook, orphaned early in life, was reared in Nashville by brothers and sisters, from whom he learned songs. In 1926, he led a country music string band on the Saturday Night Barn Dance and went to the Opry in 1927. The band is the only act left that represents the original tradition of the Opry; it plays for cloggers, who perform traditional mountain dancing.
Mr. Crook was among the Opry musicians who participated in Nashville's first recording sessions in 1928. By the 1960's, the Opry had become a modern, highly professional program, and the traditional sound of Mr. Crook's group, called the Crook Brothers Band, became a less prominent part of the show.
He is survived by his wife, Helen, five sons, two daughters, 19 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's my hope I will be remembered, not for an abundant string of hit records, but for carrying the torch of tradition and stretching the boundaries of Appalachia and old time country music farther than anyone could have ever imagined." ~ Herman M. Crook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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