"How-dee! Ah'm so glad to be here," may be one of the most familiar and beloved radio greetings, Minnie Pearl (Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, 1912-1996) ranked among the premier comedians on the Grand Ole Opry and in country music. For decades she entertained audiences with gossip about the residents of her fictional town, Grinder's Switch. She joined the Opry in 1940 and later went on to star in the television show Hee Haw in the 1970s.
Minnie Pearl's costume consisting of her famous straw hat with the dangling price tag, the pink and white gingham dress, and maryjane-style shoes became part of the National Museum of Amercian History's collection after she donated them in 1993.
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