Pee Wee King
Birth Name:
Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski
Birth Place:
Abrams, Wisconsin, United States
Profession
Soundtrack, Actor, Music department
Fast Facts
- The Tennessee Waltz became an official song of the State of Tennessee in 1965
- Had a personal number one hit with the novelty song "Slow Poke" in 1951
- Was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974
- Formed his first band, the Golden West Cowboys, in 1937 and joined the Grand Ole Opry, where he gained a reputation for being a musical innovator
- Started out as an accordion and concertina player in his father's polka band
- Was the host of his own musical variety show, "The Pee Wee King Show," in 1955 and also appeared in several western films
- Best known as a country music singer and songwriter who co-wrote "The Tennessee Waltz․"
- Frequently used nontraditional instruments in his band, like the trumpet and drums, and would include polkas and waltzes in his country sets
- In addition to "Tennessee Waltz," he wrote three other songs celebrating the state, including "Tennessee Polka," "Tennessee Tears," and "Tennessee Tango․"
- Wrote more than 400 songs during the course of his career