DeFord Bailey
Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, Tennessee, 1973

A member of the original Grand Ole Opry cast, the physically tiny Bailey was discovered in 1926 while operating an elevator. On the show, he soon became known as "The Harmonica Wizard," and was especially popular for his uncanny ability to simulate the sound of a train on that instrument. But his musical career was regrettably short-lived. After he was fired from the show in 1941, due to changing musical styles or racism (depending on who's telling the story), he all but retired from music and ran a shoeshine stand in Nashville until just before his death in 1982. This photograph was taken on an "Old Timers" night, commemorating the 45th anniversary of the Opry.