Belmont Faculty Chronicle the Life of Minnie Pearl in New Biography

‘Howdy! The Minnie Pearl Story’ explores the dual life of Sarah Colley Cannon and her legacy

Long before she became one of the most recognizable figures in the history of the Grand Ole Opry, Sarah Ophelia Colley was a student at Ward-Belmont College, the historic predecessor to Belmont University.  

The Opry celebrated its centennial in 2025, and two Belmont faculty members — public historian Mary Ellen Pethel and renowned country music scholar Don Cusic — saw it as a fitting moment to tell the story of the phenom famously known as Minnie Pearl.  

“The name Minne Pearl has become a kind of catch-all for Country music comedy,” Cusic said. “So many people know the name, but don’t know more than that.”  

“Howdy! The Minnie Pearl Story” is the first comprehensive biography of Sarah Colley Cannon’s life and legacy. The book examines the duality between her self-deprecating stage persona and the educated woman behind the character, tracing how Cannon navigated both worlds.  

Through a historical account of her rise to fame and social impact, the biography highlights Cannon’s enduring kindness, sharp humor and quiet influence as a woman ahead of her time who crossed boundaries of class, gender and even race through the relationships she built throughout her career. 

Acting the Fool 

Instead of headlining as a classical performer after graduating from Ward-Belmont in 1932, Cannon’s path shifted with her debut at the Grand Ole Opry in1940. She quickly emerged as the Opry’s first solo female star, captivating audiences through her cleverly crafted Minnie Pearl persona. 

“The applause didn’t come from polite society,” Pethel said. “It came from the Opry audience cheering for Minnie Pearl.” The result was a lifelong negotiation between two worlds: Sarah Cannon, classically educated and socially elite, and Minnie Pearl, the small-town comedian embraced by millions. 

Drawing on previously untapped archival material and extensive historical research, the book gives readers a behind the curtain glance of this beloved and complex female trailblazer.  

“Ultimately, she embraced the duality — leaning into comedy and country music while maintaining her social standing in Nashville’s elite circles,” Pethel said. “Like many southern women, Cannon did not identify as a feminist, but she knew the deck was stacked against her. Throughout her sixty-year career, she demonstrated how women in country entertainment could use performance to assert agency and navigate the hierarchies of class, race, and gender.” 

Cannon’s career spanned more than six decades, and her Minnie Pearl character, complete with the signature $1.98 price tag pinned to a flower-adorned straw hat, helped the comedian reach national audiences as a cast member on the television show “Hee Haw.” This exposure earned her a level of visibility and authority rarely afforded to women in the genre at the time. 

Two Women, One Iconic Life 

More than 90 years after Sarah Colley Cannon walked Belmont’s campus, her story continues to resonate. Written for a general audience and grounded in scholarship, the biography reminds readers that authenticity can take many forms, and that sometimes, the most powerful performances are the ones that allow people to see themselves reflected with grace and humor.  

“It's a pleasant read,” Cusic shared. “You want a book that informs you and entertains you, and I think it does that. It is going to let people know a little more about an incredible character, Minnie Pearl — and Mrs. Cannon.”  

Her impact extends beyond entertainment. Cannon left a lasting contribution to the world following her breast cancer diagnosis by helping establish what would become the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, a legacy of medical research that continues today. 

“She wasn’t perfect, and she lived in an imperfect time,” Pethel said “But it was a life well lived, and it deserves to be fully told.”