Rodney Leon Brasfield (August 22, 1910 – September 12, 1958) was an American comedian who was prominently featured on the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

from 1947 until his death in 1958. In 1987, he was inducted into the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

Life and career

Brasfield was born in Smithville, Mississippi, United States. He began his career in the late 1920s with Bisbee's Dramatic Shows, a touring tent

repertory A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...

troupe, serving as a

straight man The straight man (or straight woman in the case of female characters), also known as a "comedic foil", is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically ...

for his older brother, actor and comedian Boob Brasfield. In 1931, he married Eleanor Humphrey, a Hohenwald, Tennessee school teacher. Brasfield was recruited by George D. Hay for the

in 1944. With his trademark baggy suit, battered hat and rubbery face, he could make audiences laugh before he spoke a word. He soon became the primary comic on ''The

Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Alb ...

Show'', the Opry's

NBC Radio The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (also known as the NBC Red Network from 1927 to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in continuous operation from 1926 through 1999. Along with the NBC Blue Network, it wa ...

broadcast, playing off the show’s host,

Red Foley Clyde Julian "Red" Foley (June 17, 1910 – September 19, 1968) was an American musician who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II. For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the gen ...

. Assuming the role of a hapless hayseed, he often poked fun at country life—always with good humor. He formed a double act in 1948 with

Minnie Pearl Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon (October 25, 1912 – March 4, 1996), known professionally as her stage character Minnie Pearl, was an American comedian and country singer who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years (1940–1991) ...

, playing what she referred to as "double comedy", in which each of them delivered alternating punch lines and neither played the straight man. Some of these routines were broadcast on the Opry's live ABC television network show from 1955–56. He lived in Hohenwald, called himself the Hohenwald Flash, and often mentioned the local restaurant (which he once owned), the Snip-Snap-and-Bite, in his routines. Brasfield sometimes did

ventriloquist Ventriloquism or ventriloquy is an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) speaks in such a way that it seems like their voice is coming from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a "dummy". The act of ventrilo ...

routines with a dummy named Bocephus, after whom

Hank Williams Sr. Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An early pioneer of country music, he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century. W ...

nicknamed his then-infant son Hank Williams Jr.; and also did comedy with June Carter. In March 1956, Brasfield appeared with

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

at Atlanta's Fox Theatre. In '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957) he played Andy Griffith's ex-con sidekick, and appeared in '' Country Music Holiday'' (1958).

Heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...

combined with an ongoing problem with alcohol abuse, led to his death at age 48 in 1958 in

Martin, Tennessee Martin is a city in Weakley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,825 according to the 2020 census. The city is the home of the University of Tennessee at Martin. History Martin is named for Captain William Martin. Willia ...

. He is buried in Smithville.

Filmography

References

Other sources

* ''Encyclopedia of Country Music'', Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Oxford University Press) * Faye, Byron "Remembering Rod Brasfield", ''FayFair's Opry Blog'', August 22, 2011 * ''Rod Brasfield - Smithville'' at the Mississippi Country Music Trail

External links

At the Country Music Hall of Fame
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brasfield, Rod 1910 births 1958 deaths American country singer-songwriters American male comedians American radio personalities Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Grand Ole Opry members People from Monroe County, Mississippi Singer-songwriters from Mississippi People from Hohenwald, Tennessee 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American singer-songwriters Country musicians from Tennessee Country musicians from Mississippi Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Comedians from Mississippi Comedians from Tennessee