Knoxville in Knox County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Roy Acuff & Hank Williams

Andrew Johnson Hotel

— Cradle of Country Music Tour —

Roy Acuff & Hank Williams Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Joel Seewald, May 31, 2018

1. Roy Acuff & Hank Williams Marker

Inscription. The Andrew Johnson Hotel's top floor was the original site for WNOX's live country music variety show The Midday Merry-Go-Round. An early star of the show was a little known fiddler named Roy Acuff. The rowdy fans and musicians who crowded the hotel's elevator and lobby brought complaints which forced WNOX to hold its live shows elsewhere.

On New Year's Eve, 1952, Hank Williams checked into the hotel for what would be the final hours of his life. Though he was pronounced dead in West Virginia, many believe Williams was dead before his teenaged chauffeur carried him out of this hotel. (Marker Number 3.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1952.

Location. 35° 57.663′ N, 83° 54.94′ W. Marker is in Knoxville, Tennessee, in Knox County. Marker is at the intersection of South Gay Street and West Hill Avenue, on the right when traveling north on South Gay Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 912 South Gay Street, Knoxville TN 37902, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Andrew Johnson Office Plaza (a few steps from this marker); Commemorating the Treaty of Holston (within shouting distance of this marker); Knoxville (within shouting distance of

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this marker); Captain Charles T. McMillan II (within shouting distance of this marker); Sarah Hawkins (within shouting distance of this marker); Governor John Sevier (within shouting distance of this marker); Katherine Sherrill Sevier (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of First Block House (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Knoxville.

Also see . . .
1. Andrew Johnson Building. (Submitted on June 11, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
2. Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round put Knoxville on music map. (Submitted on June 11, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
3. Roy Acuff. (Submitted on June 11, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
4. Hank Williams. (Submitted on June 11, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)

The Andrew Johnson Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 20, 2021

2. The Andrew Johnson Building

Credits. This page was last revised on March 4, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 275 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 11, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 2. submitted on March 4, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.