Born 99 Years Ago in Kentucky, the First Woman To Join Nashville’s “A-Team” and Help Shape Country Music Alongside Willie Nelson and Roy Acuff

On this day (July 27) in 1927, Velma Smith was born in Epley Station, Kentucky. She broke many barriers and claimed many “firsts” when she came to Nashville. She was the first woman to perform solo on the Grand Ole Opry. Years later, she became the first woman to play rhythm guitar as a session musician in Music City. During the Nashville Sound era, she was the first woman to join the “A-Team” of session players. Smith was also a member of the backing bands of country legends Ernest Tubb, Carl Smith, and Roy Acuff.

Bill Monroe heard Smith and her sister, Mildred, performing on the Hopkinsville-based radio station WHOP and invited them to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. While Mildred left the music business for a more traditional life, Velma stayed in Music City to pursue her career. She soon joined Roy Acuff’s Smoky Mountain Boys as a bass player. Later, she joined the bands of Carl Smith and Ernest Tubb. She was also the first woman to perform solo on the NBC-sponsored portion of the Opry, according to The Logan Journal.

Velma Smith Was a Member of Nashville’s “A-Team”

The Nashville A-Team was a group of highly skilled musicians who regularly did session work in Music City. They weren’t a band with a fixed roster, though. Instead, the A-Team was made up of a dozen of the most in-demand session musicians at the time. Velma Smith was among them. Moreover, she was the first woman to join their ranks. She is also widely believed to be the first session musician to play rhythm guitar on records made in Nashville.

According to AllMusic, Smith recorded with Willie Nelson, Jim Reeves, Hank Snow, Waylon Jennings, Ray Price, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson, and many more.

[RELATED: How Ernest Tubb Connected with the Widow of His Hero, Jimmie Rodgers, to Change Country Music History]

Velma Smith was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame alongside Peter Frampton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Barbara Mandrell, and Buddy Guy in January 2014. She died in late July that year.

Featured Image by Bob Grannis/Getty Images