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Minnie Pearl

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The character of Minnie Pearl was beloved as a simple country bumpkin whose corny humor suggested a ditzy but harmless brain. Her alter ego Sarah Ophelia Cannon was a refined Christian bluestocking. Somehow these two polar opposites existed simultaneously for years and years, and in the later part of their lives merged into one well-round flesh and blood institution.

As a child the girl who would be come Minnie Pearl had an atypical life for her time and local. Born the youngest of five daughters to a college-educated mother and successful businessman father, little Sarah Cannon grew up in an upper middle-class world complete with servants in small town Tennessee. As a child she vividly recalled the arrest of a black suspect accused of raping a white woman. When rumor spread that an unruly crowd of vigilantes was planning to break him out of jail and lynch him, she remembered her father and a handful of other men confronting and dispersing the vengeful mob despite her mother's fears that he might be injured or killed himself. When writing the book nearly six decades later, she said that she no longer remembered the trial or if the suspect was found guilty or innocent; however, her family's loving pride in her father's heroic actions were fresh in her mind.

Sarah Caldwell's marriage to Henry Cannon was far from the standard show biz union-she died just shy of their golden anniversary, and she wrote clearly of her belief in the sacredness of marriage. Married in their mid-thirties, the Caldwell's never had children which was an obvious disappointment, but they believed and accepted that childlessness was God's plan for them. Despite never becoming parents themselves, the humor of Minnie Pearl remained family friendly until her death. Her father, who only lived to see the early day's of his daughter's alter ego, had fortuitously advised her that she would make a fortune off that character if she kept her kind, and "kind" is a word that appropriately describes the career of Minnie Pearl and her wholesome humor.

Although she was a well-known celebrity, Minnie boasted that neither her mother nor her husband was the least bit impressed by show biz fame. Her mother met "This is Your Life" Host Ralph Edwards at a Methodist convention and they hit off very well regardless of the fact that she had never heard of him nor knew what he did for a living. In a more humorous instance, Sarah related a classic moment when she was invited to the opening of a Broadway play. As she and her husband sat in a front row awaiting the curtain, an excited hush fell on the crowd, Sarah looked over and pointed out Elizabeth Taylor who was taking a seat near them. Thinking it was someone he knew but was inadvertently ignoring Henry rose, approached her, shook her hand, and apologized for not seeing her come in.

Now that much of modern day country music has veered of course, it is especially touching to read this book. It is important for those Nashville celebrities and all comedians who feel they need off-color innuendo or vulgarity to be successful to remember that Minnie Pearl's career thrived and Sarah Caldwell had a happy, productive life without ever lapsing into such base trappings.

Minnie Pearl was a sweet woman and the book is a nice tribute to her. There were times I teared up. I would say if you just need a quick read about a sweet woman who knew and met so many of country music's greats this would be a good book to read on a rainy day. Don't look for in depth knowledge of Minnie or of anyone else. It's surface stuff all the way.