Rachel Veach
Rachel Veach (1921–1980) was an American five-string banjoist, vocalist, and early country music entertainer who rose to prominence as a member of Roy Acuff’s Smoky Mountain Boys. The niece of pioneering Grand Ole Opry performers Sam and Kirk McGee, she was recruited by Acuff in 1939 to perform music and comedy routines. To navigate strict mid-century gender roles and shield her from public criticism while traveling on tour with an all-male ensemble, Acuff famously staged a public illusion that she was the sibling of dobro player Pete "Bashful Brother Oswald" Kirby, promoting them as "Great Big Bashful Brother Oswald and His Sister, Rachel". Beyond her regular radio and stage broadcasts, she appeared as a featured performer in the Republic Pictures musical films Grand Ole Opry (1940) and Sing, Neighbor, Sing (1944) before eventually retiring from the music business.