Minnie Pearl
Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon (October 25, 1912—March 4, 1996), known professionally by her stage character Minnie Pearl, was a comedian and country performer born in Centerville, Tennessee. She debuted the character in 1939 and joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry on November 30, 1940, establishing a fifty-year tenure on the broadcast. Her performance style centered on rural Southern satire, utilizing distinct visual costuming and her signature "How-DEE!" vocal greeting. She became a regular cast member on the television series Hee Haw starting in 1969. She secured induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1975 and received the National Medal of Arts in 1992.
In the newsletter
- No. 31 December 2002