Tennessee State Museum

Welcome to the Tennessee State Museum’s Online Collections portal. This represents only a small sampling of the Museum’s collection. More artifacts will be added on an ongoing basis. If you have any questions or don't find what you are looking for, please email us at collections@tnmuseum.org.

Disclaimer: The Tennessee State Museum, serving the State through access to our collection, makes images and information on our artifacts available to the public. These images are available for personal, educational and noncommercial use only. Some materials and works of art are protected by copyright and may be subject to additional third party rights. As a courtesy, when using an image, please credit The Tennessee State Museum and cite the author or artist where available.

For questions concerning the use of images or to request a high resolution image for use or publication, please see our Museum and Copyright Policies or email photographs@tnmuseum.org.

DeFord Bailey: The Harmonica Wizard

DeFord Bailey (1899-1982) was born in rural Smith County to a family with longstanding musical traditions. As a child, he was incapacitated by polio and entertained himself playing the harmonica. Bailey developed a unique style of playing, rich with syncopation and instrumental allusions to the sights and sounds of his upbringing. Bailey’s recorded works and his fame in early radio, especially as a founding cast member of the Grand Ole Opry, have led many music historians to label him the first Black star in country music.

Item Selection	Available Actions	Object IDsort by Object ID ascending	Image	Synopsis
		2001.19.126		Crosley Super Tridyn Radio \| radio \| Crosley Radio Corporation \| entertainment \| Music \| Player, Audio
		2006.11.1		DeFord Bailey's Performance Jacket \| jacket \| Petway Reavis Company \| Bailey, DeFord \| Grand Ole Opry \| African American \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Black History \| Music, Country
		2006.11.3		DeFord Bailey's Performance Hat \| hat \| Bailey, DeFord \| Grand Ole Opry \| Music, Country \| African American \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Black History
		2006.11.4		DeFord Bailey's Harmonica \| harmonica \| Hohner, M. \| Grand Ole Opry \| Music, Country \| African American \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Bailey, DeFord \| Black History
		2006.17.23		WSM Field Test Car, 1932 \| photographic print \| WSM Nashville \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| National Life and Accident Insurance Company \| Grand Ole Opry
		2006.17.27		Microphone, WSM Radio \| microphone \| WSM Nashville \| radio \| Music, Country
		2021.10.2		"DeFord Bailey: A Black Star in Early Country Music" \| book \| Morton, David C. \| Wolfe, Charles K. \| University of Tennessee, Knoxville \| Bailey, DeFord \| Grand Ole Opry \| Music, Folk \| Music, Country \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| African American \| Black History
		2021.10.6		DeFord Bailey \| photograph \| Bailey, DeFord \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Ryman Auditorium \| Grand Ole Opry \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Smith County \| Black History
		2021.10.7		photograph \| Bailey, DeFord \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Grand Ole Opry \| Ryman Auditorium \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Smith County \| Black History
		2021.10.8		photograph \| Bailey, DeFord \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Ryman Auditorium \| Grand Ole Opry \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Smith County \| Black History
		2021.10.10		DeFord Bailey \| picture postcard \| Bailey, DeFord \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Ryman Auditorium \| Grand Ole Opry \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Smith County \| Black History
		2021.10.11		DeFord Bailey \| photograph \| Bailey, DeFord \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Ryman Auditorium \| Grand Ole Opry \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Smith County \| Black History
		2021.10.12		DeFord Bailey \| photograph \| Bailey, DeFord \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Ryman Auditorium \| Grand Ole Opry \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Smith County \| Black History
		2021.10.13		DeFord Bailey \| photograph \| Bailey, DeFord \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Ryman Auditorium \| Grand Ole Opry \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Smith County \| Black History
		2023.19.3		DeFord Bailey \| photograph \| Bailey, DeFord \| Smith County \| Music, Country \| African American \| Black History \| Grand Ole Opry
		2023.19.4		DeFord Bailey \| photograph \| Bailey, DeFord \| Smith County \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Black History \| Grand Ole Opry \| Ryman Auditorium \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County
		2023.19.6		DeFord Bailey \| photograph \| Polaroid Corporation \| Bailey, DeFord \| Smith County \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Black History \| Grand Ole Opry \| Ryman Auditorium \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County
		2023.19.7		DeFord Bailey \| photograph \| Bailey, DeFord \| Smith County \| Music, Country \| Music, Blues \| Black History \| Grand Ole Opry \| Ryman Auditorium \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County