Appalachian Figures
Rodney Leon “Rod” Brasfield turned a quiet Lewis County town into a running character on one of America’s biggest radio stages. From the late 1940s through the 1950s, the Grand Ole Opry’s premier comedian regularly told listeners he hailed from Hohenwald, and he worked that hometown into his bits with affectionate precision. In print, on air, and even on film, Brasfield’s persona anchored a small Tennessee place in the national imagination. The historical record shows that was not just a gag. It was home.
What the Opry’s own publications said
Contemporaneous WSM program books and picture books are clear about Brasfield’s Hohenwald identity. In the mid-1950s booklet of Opry profiles, his caption calls him a “leading citizen of Hohenwald, Tenn.” and a “homespun comedian on the Grand Ole Opry.”
The 1957 Grand Ole Opry Picture Book lists “Opry Immortals” and describes Brasfield as the “Teller of Tall Tales from Hohenwald, Tennessee,” placing him alongside Uncle Dave Macon and Hank Williams. That is a primary, in-period characterization of his stage identity and its tie to place.
An earlier narrative booklet, A Story of the Grand Ole Opry (1953), goes further. It notes that Brasfield “married a charming young lady from Hohenwald, Tenn., where they have made their home for several years.” That single line documents both residence and the local tie that became part of his act.
On the air: surviving Opry recordings and scripts
The Country Music Hall of Fame’s digital archive preserves network “Prince Albert” Grand Ole Opry broadcasts from Brasfield’s tenure. These live shows capture him in the cast and even note his status in real time. For example, the January 19, 1957 program log indicates “Brasfield is in hospital,” a small but telling snapshot of how closely audiences followed him week to week. The archive also includes 1940s broadcasts in which he appears with the Opry company.
Trade press of the era also placed him in Hohenwald. In February 1947, The Mountain Broadcast and Prairie Recorderprinted a note “from HOHENWALD, TENN… our good friend, ROD BRASFIELD,” signaling how he and his hometown were already paired in fan media during his Opry years.
“Hohenwald Flash,” Snip-Snap-and-Bite, and public memory
Official state records memorialize the hometown thread in his comedy. A Tennessee House joint resolution honoring Brasfield states that he “brought his adopted hometown of Hohenwald into the spotlight,” referenced the Snip, Snap, and Bite Café in his act, and even nicknamed his harmonica “the Hohenwald Flash.” The language is a concise summary of what Opry listeners had heard for years.
Local government materials say the same from the town’s point of view. The City of Hohenwald’s “About Hohenwald” brochure notes that Brasfield “made his home in Hohenwald and referred to it in his routines,” reflecting how the community has claimed him in civic storytelling.
From Smithville to Nashville to the movies
Brasfield was born in Smithville, Mississippi, and the Magnolia State has marked that fact on the ground. The Mississippi Country Music Trail installed a historical marker at Smithville that summarizes his Opry career and influence. The marker text is accessible through the state’s tourism site and the Historical Marker Database, both of which emphasize his run as the Opry’s top male comedian and his work with Minnie Pearl.
While the Opry made him famous, film preserved another side. In Elia Kazan’s 1957 feature A Face in the Crowd, Brasfield appears in a credited supporting role as “Beanie,” a reminder that his sad-sack warmth played on screen as well as on radio. Standard film references confirm the credit and the film’s later addition to the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
Why it matters
Brasfield’s career shows how a performer could turn a particular place into a recurring character and, in doing so, etch that place into popular culture. In the 1950s the Opry’s audience stretched from Maine to California. When the show’s own publications and live broadcasts told that coast-to-coast audience that the funniest man on the stage was the “teller of tall tales from Hohenwald,” they made a small Appalachian-edge town part of America’s shared Saturday night.
Sources and further reading
WSM Grand Ole Opry Booklet profile page. Caption: “Rod Brasfield, leading citizen of Hohenwald, Tenn.” World Radio History (station albums collection). World Radio History
Grand Ole Opry Picture Book (1957). “Opry Immortals” page: “Teller of Tall Tales from Hohenwald, Tennessee.” World Radio History. World Radio History
A Story of the Grand Ole Opry (1953). Performer sketch noting marriage to a Hohenwald schoolteacher and residence there. World Radio History. World Radio History
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Digital Archive, “Prince Albert Grand Ole Opry,” January 19, 1957 entry and other 1950s network broadcasts including Brasfield. digi.countrymusichalloffame.org
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Digital Archive, “Prince Albert Grand Ole Opry,” November 19, 1949 broadcast.
The Mountain Broadcast and Prairie Recorder, Feb. 3, 1947. Short item “from HOHENWALD, TENN… our good friend, ROD BRASFIELD.” World Radio History. World Radio History
Tennessee General Assembly, House Joint Resolution 779, honoring Brasfield and referencing the Snip-Snap-and-Bite and the “Hohenwald Flash.” Tennessee General Assembly
Mississippi Country Music Trail marker, “Rod Brasfield,” Smithville, MS. Visit Mississippi. Visit Mississippi
Historical Marker Database, “Rod Brasfield” trail marker entry with photos and full text. HMDB
City of Hohenwald, “About Hohenwald” brochure noting Brasfield’s residency and on-air references. hohenwald.com
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum biography, “Rod Brasfield,” overview of career and Opry tenure. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
AFI Catalog, A Face in the Crowd (1957), production notes and cast. AFI Catalog
Criterion Collection page for A Face in the Crowd with cast listing “Rod Brasfield — Beanie.” The Criterion Collection
Library of Congress, National Film Registry complete listing, A Face in the Crowd added 2008. The Library of Congress