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Harmonica Great DeFord Bailey Gets His Due DeFord Bailey was one of the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry, and was also one of its only black stars. In 1941, he was fired and went into the shoeshine business. This month, Bailey will finally be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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Harmonica Great DeFord Bailey Gets His Due

Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday

Rebecca Bain

Harmonica Great DeFord Bailey Gets His Due

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Songs from Bailey

'Shoe Shine Boy'

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'Pan American Blues'

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'Lost John'

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DeFord Bailey was one of the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry, and was also one of its only black stars.

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Bailey was known as "The Harmonica Wizard" of the Grand Ole Opry. Country Music Hall of Fame hide caption

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Country Music Hall of Fame

Bailey was known as "The Harmonica Wizard" of the Grand Ole Opry.

Country Music Hall of Fame

The Tennessee-born Bailey played at the Opry from 1926 to 1941. But in January of that year, a flap over publishing contracts led the Opry to fire him. After that, Bailey's only audiences were friends and people at the shoeshine parlor he started in Nashville.

Just a few months after a reunion performance at the Opry in 1982, Deford Bailey died at 84 years old. On Tuesday, his son and two daughters will accept the award commemorating their father’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Rebecca Bain of member station WPLN reports.