That's the kind of humor that Minnie Pearl shared with Grand Ole Opry audiences for decades. Of course, she was known for greeting her fans with a loud and welcoming, "Howwww-deeeee! I'm just so proud to be here," while wearing her trademark straw hat with flowers and a $1.98 price tag still attached.
Minnie Pearl was a character created by Sarah Colley Cannon, who was born 100 years ago (Oct. 25, 1912) in Centerville, Tenn. She attended Nashville's Ward-Belmont College and was named "Most Humorous" by her classmates. Then came several years of stage acting and the eventual creation of her Minnie Pearl character.
In 1940, Minnie Pearl joined the Grand Ole Opry and was a crowd favorite with her knee-slapping humor and silly joke-telling style. She was also a regular on the "Hee Haw" television series beginning with its first show in 1969. Although she was not known as a musical performer, her down-home character from Grinder's Switch earned her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1975.
Offstage, Sarah Cannon was a sophisticated, elegant lady who performed lots of charitable work and was an avid tennis player. She and her husband Henry were next-door neighbors to the Tennessee Governor's mansion. After a couple bouts with cancer and a series of strokes, Sarah Cannon died on March 4, 1996. In her honor, there are two Nashville-area cancer centers named for her: the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at Skyline and Centennial hospitals.
"Cousin" Minnie will be remembered for her laugh, her smile and her silly jokes. Sarah Cannon's memory lives on through her charitable work and numerous humanitarian awards. Both of these ladies are cherished by Nashvillians even today.
Minnie, we're just so proud you were here, too.
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