Comedian minnie pearl biography
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Our Inductees: Minnie Pearl
She also spun stories involving her comical neer-do-well relatives, notably Uncle Nabob, his wife Aunt Ambrosia, Lucifer Hucklehead, Miss Lizzie Tinkum, Doc Payne, and, of course, her Brother, who was simultaneously both slow-witted and wise. She usually closed her monologues with the exit line I love you so much it hurts! She also sang comic novelty songs and often danced with Grandpa Jones.
Pearl drew much of her comic material from her hometown of Centerville, which she called Grinders Switch. Grinders Switch was a community just outside Centerville that consisted of little more than a railroad switch. Those who knew her recognized that the characters were largely based on actual Centerville residents. So much traffic resulted from fans and tourists looking for Grinders Switch that the Hickman County Highway Department eventually changed the designation on the Grinders Switch road sign to Hi
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Minnie Pearl
American comedian and country singer (–)
Minnie Pearl | |
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Pearl in | |
| Born | Sarah Ophelia Colley ()October 25, Centerville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 4, () (aged83) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Hope Cemetery, Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Almamater | Ward-Belmont College |
| Occupation | Country comedienne |
| Yearsactive | – |
| Television | Hee-Haw |
| Spouse | Henry R. Cannon (m.) |
Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon (October 25, March 4, ), known professionally as her stage character Minnie Pearl, was an American comedian who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years (–) and on the television show Hee Haw from to [1][2]
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Sarah Colley was born in Centerville in Hickman County, Tennessee, 50miles (80km) southwest of Nashville. She was the youngest of five daughters born to a prosperous sawmill owner and timber deale
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Born Sarah Ophelia Colley on October 25, in Centerville, Tennessee, the daughter of a successful sawmill owner, she grew up very much a town girl. Though the family suffered financially during the Depression years, she completed two years of educa