The Duke of Paducah
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Born Name:
Benjamin Francis Ford
Born Date: May 12, 1901
Born Place: De Soto, Missouri
Died Date: June 20, 1986
Died Place: Brentwood, Tennessee
Occupations: Singer-songwriter, comedian, musician, radio and TV host, actor
Brief Biography: Benjamin Francis "Whitey" Ford is best remembered for his long-standing membership on the Grand Ole Opry (1942–1959) and his signature closing line: "I'm goin' back to the wagon, boys, these shoes are killin' me".
Early Life and Career Beginnings:
He famously joked about having a degree from the "University of Hard Knocks" due to his third-grade education.
Navy Service: Served in the U.S. Navy from 1918 to 1922, where he learned the banjo and earned the nickname "Whitey" because of his blonde hair.
Early Bands: After his service, he joined jazz and cowboy bands, most notably Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys, which toured extensively and appeared in film shorts.
Rise to Fame:
The Duke Persona: He adopted his stage name in the early 1930s while working at KWK in St. Louis. The title was originally created by humorist Irvin S. Cobb, but Ford popularized it as a professional persona.
Renfro Valley: In 1937, he co-founded the Renfro Valley Barn Dance alongside Red Foley and John Lair.
Radio Success: He starred on the NBC show Plantation Party for nine years before joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1942.
Later Career and Legacy:
Television: From 1958 through the 1960s, he hosted the early morning show Country Junction on WLAC-TV in Nashville.
Presley Connection: During the mid-1950s, his "Rock and Roll Revue" toured with a young Elvis Presley on several bills.
Hee Haw: His extensive library of jokes was later purchased by the producers of the television show Hee Haw, where he also made occasional appearances.
Honors: In 1953, he received the first official "Duke of Paducah" award from the city of Paducah, Kentucky. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1986, just months before his death from cancer on June 20, 1986.
Born Date: May 12, 1901
Born Place: De Soto, Missouri
Died Date: June 20, 1986
Died Place: Brentwood, Tennessee
Occupations: Singer-songwriter, comedian, musician, radio and TV host, actor
Brief Biography: Benjamin Francis "Whitey" Ford is best remembered for his long-standing membership on the Grand Ole Opry (1942–1959) and his signature closing line: "I'm goin' back to the wagon, boys, these shoes are killin' me".
Early Life and Career Beginnings:
He famously joked about having a degree from the "University of Hard Knocks" due to his third-grade education.
Navy Service: Served in the U.S. Navy from 1918 to 1922, where he learned the banjo and earned the nickname "Whitey" because of his blonde hair.
Early Bands: After his service, he joined jazz and cowboy bands, most notably Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys, which toured extensively and appeared in film shorts.
Rise to Fame:
The Duke Persona: He adopted his stage name in the early 1930s while working at KWK in St. Louis. The title was originally created by humorist Irvin S. Cobb, but Ford popularized it as a professional persona.
Renfro Valley: In 1937, he co-founded the Renfro Valley Barn Dance alongside Red Foley and John Lair.
Radio Success: He starred on the NBC show Plantation Party for nine years before joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1942.
Later Career and Legacy:
Television: From 1958 through the 1960s, he hosted the early morning show Country Junction on WLAC-TV in Nashville.
Presley Connection: During the mid-1950s, his "Rock and Roll Revue" toured with a young Elvis Presley on several bills.
Hee Haw: His extensive library of jokes was later purchased by the producers of the television show Hee Haw, where he also made occasional appearances.
Honors: In 1953, he received the first official "Duke of Paducah" award from the city of Paducah, Kentucky. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1986, just months before his death from cancer on June 20, 1986.