Why Is America�s First Country Music Superstar Buried In Bridgeport?
Bluegrass musician Nick Novia plays at the grave of Marion T. Slaughter � known professionally as Vernon Dalhart � in Bridgeport's Mountain Grove Cemetery. Davis Dunavin / WSHU There are questions that might stump even the most dedicated country music fan: Who kickstarted the country music industry in the 1920s, even before big names like Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family? And why is this Texas musician buried in Bridgeport, Connecticut? His name was Vernon Dalhart, and he released some of the best-selling records of the era, including �The Prisoner�s Song.� �You can�t overemphasize the impact that Dalhart had on American music,� says country music historian Bill Malone. �He just revealed to the entertainment trade that the music he was doing had an appeal, that people wanted to hear it.� By just about any measure, he was the first superstar in American country music. He recorded thousands of songs with virtually every recording label of the day. His two-sided ...