1926: DeFord Bailey becomes a regular on the Grand Ole Opry

1926%3A+DeFord+Bailey+becomes+a+regular+on+the+Grand+Ole+Opry

The African American harmonica player appeared on the radio show from 1926 to 1941. However, due to the industry cultivation of country as a predominantly “white” genre—the legacy of which remains to this day—he was not inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame until 2005.