Celebrating Women’s History Month:
On November 20, 1940, when Sarah (Colley) Cannon—better known as Minnie Pearl— stepped onto the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for the first time, she didn’t just become an icon, she broke the “proverbial glass ceiling” for a new generation of women comedians.
Sarah Ophelia Colley was born in 1912 in Centerville, TN. She was sophisticated, highly educated, and ambitious. She went to finishing school, studied Shakespeare, and learned etiquette, literature, and the arts.
After college Sarah became a drama coach, and began traveling the Depression-era South to organize community theater productions. She stayed in strangers’ homes, ate at their tables, and listened to their stories.
She met a woman who changed everything. The woman was warm, funny, unselfconscious—and so delighted with her new hat that she’d forgotten to remove the price tag. She talked about finding a husband, and about everyday life with pure enthusiasm. The lady wasn’t a joke to Sarah. She saw a character.
It was at that point that Sarah created Minnie Pearl from Grinder’s Switch, TN. She portrayed a small-town spinster in her Sunday best, forever searching for a “feller,” and bubbling over with stories. She wore a hat with a price tag for the next fifty-six years. Everyone thought it was a joke. It was actually a masterpiece.
Sarah Cannon was nothing like Minnie. She was cultured and wellread. She married a successful pilot, was deeply involved in Nashville society, and ran businesses. But when Sarah put on that hat, she transformed completely. Her comedy was gentle. She made fun of herself, got excited over simple things, and her endless hope for love. Her humor celebrated rural life with enthusiasm, and innocence - not mockery.
People wondered why she didn’t take the price tag off the hat. The real answer was—that $1.98 tag became a symbol. Some things like genuine joy, generosity, and warmth—never lose value. They are worth far more than $1.98 In 1969, Hee Haw, the TV program, premiered. Minnie Pearl became a regular guest on that show for more than twenty years. We watched it every week!.
In 1975, Minnie Pearl was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1992, George H.W. Bush awarded her the National Medal of Arts. The hat now lives in the Country Music Hall of Fame—the price tag is still attached.
During my growing up years—late 40s, early 50s—we all gathered around the console radio on Saturday night to listen to the Grand Ole’ Opry—“live” from Nashville, TN. It was a delight when, at some point in the broadcast we heard—“How-Dee! I’m just so proud to be here!”