THE GREAT DEPRESSION TOOK POP STONEMAN’S HOME, POSSESSIONS, AND RECORDING CAREER. DECADES LATER, HE RETURNED WITH HIS OWN CHILDREN—AND THE FAMILY BECAME THE FIRST CMA VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR. Ernest “Pop” Stoneman belonged to country music before the business had fully decided what to call it. A carpenter from Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, he traveled to New York in 1924 after hearing an early hillbilly record and believing he could do better. His recording of “The Sinking of the Titanic” became a major success, and between 1925 and 1929 he cut more than two hundred songs. He also helped Ralph Peer prepare the 1927 Bristol Sessions, where the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers entered country music history. Then the Great Depression erased the market beneath him. Pop and his wife, Hattie, lost their home and most of their possessions. In 1932, they moved their large family to the Washington, D.C., area, where Pop found work at the Naval Gun Factory and eventually built a small home in Maryland. Music survived inside the household. Twenty-three children were born to Pop and Hattie, and thirteen reached adulthood. Several became accomplished musicians: Scotty played fiddle, Donna mandolin, Roni banjo, Jimmy bass, and Van guitar. In 1947, the family won a talent contest at Constitution Hall and gained local television exposure. Nine years later, Pop appeared on NBC’s The Big Surprise and won $10,000 answering questions about country music. The money helped revive the career the Depression had interrupted. That same year, his children won on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts as the Blue Grass Champs. Pop later retired from factory work and joined them full-time. The children had inherited more than his name. Scotty’s fierce fiddle, Roni’s driving banjo, Donna’s mandolin, and the family harmonies created a fast, aggressive sound rooted in the mountain music Pop had recorded decades earlier. By the early 1960s, they were recording albums and appearing at festivals, clubs, the Grand Ole Opry, and on television. In 1964, they moved to California and entered the growing West Coast country scene. Their largest audience came through the syndicated series Those Stonemans, which began in 1966 and carried their music, humor, and family energy into homes nationwide. At the first CMA Awards in 1967, the Stoneman Family was named Vocal Group of the Year, winning over acts including the Statler Brothers, the Browns, Johnny Cash and June Carter, and the Anita Kerr Singers. Pop lived long enough to see it. His health declined during the television years, but he continued performing until shortly before his death on June 14, 1968. The family continued without him. Several children remained in music, and Roni later reached a wider audience as both a banjo player and Ida Lee Nagger on Hee Haw. The award had not restored the home the Depression took away. But it proved that the music preserved inside the house Pop rebuilt had outlived the collapse that nearly ended his career.

How Pop Stoneman Lost Everything in the Great Depression—Then Built Country Music’s First CMA Vocal Group of the Year

Long before country music filled stadiums and dominated television, Ernest “Pop” Stoneman helped shape the foundation of the genre. He was among the earliest artists to record what was then known as hillbilly music, helping introduce the sounds of the Appalachian Mountains to audiences across America.

His career appeared destined for greatness during the 1920s. But when the Great Depression devastated the recording industry, everything he had built disappeared. He lost his home, most of his belongings, and the successful recording career that had made him one of country music’s earliest stars.

Many performers never recovered from such a setback.

Pop Stoneman did something different.

Instead of abandoning music, he planted it inside his own family. Decades later, the children he taught around the kitchen table would carry his dream farther than he ever imagined, making history as the first recipients of the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year award.

One of Country Music’s First Recording Stars

Born in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Ernest Stoneman grew up surrounded by the traditional mountain music that would later become an essential part of American country music.

Although he worked as a carpenter, music remained his greatest passion.

In 1924, after hearing one of the earliest commercial hillbilly records, Stoneman believed he could produce something even better. He traveled to New York to audition for record companies, taking a chance that would completely change his life.

The gamble paid off.

His recording of “The Sinking of the Titanic” became one of the era’s biggest country recordings, introducing his distinctive style to audiences nationwide.

Over the next several years, Pop became one of the recording industry’s busiest artists. Between 1925 and 1929, he recorded more than 200 songs, preserving countless Appalachian ballads, gospel numbers, and traditional folk tunes that might otherwise have disappeared.

His influence reached beyond his own recordings.

In 1927, he assisted legendary producer Ralph Peer in organizing the historic Bristol Sessions. Those recordings introduced the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers to the world—artists now recognized as two of the most influential figures in country music history.

Without realizing it, Pop Stoneman had helped shape one of the most important moments the genre would ever experience.

When Everything Came Crashing Down

The prosperity of the 1920s did not last.

As the Great Depression swept across America, record sales collapsed. Companies dramatically reduced recording sessions, and many artists suddenly found themselves without work.

Pop Stoneman was among those hit hardest.

The family lost their home.

Most of their possessions disappeared.

The recording career that had seemed so promising simply vanished.

By 1932, Pop and his wife, Hattie, had no choice but to begin again. They relocated their large family to the Washington, D.C., area, where Pop accepted steady employment at the Naval Gun Factory.

Eventually, he managed to build a modest home in Maryland.

While his recording career had ended, his determination had not.

Building a Musical Family

The Stoneman household was unlike almost any other in America.

Pop and Hattie welcomed twenty-three children during their marriage. Thirteen survived into adulthood, creating one of the largest musical families in country music history.

Music became part of everyday life.

Rather than seeing his own career as a failure, Pop passed everything he knew to his children.

Scotty mastered the fiddle.

Donna became an accomplished mandolin player.

Roni developed into a remarkable banjo player.

Jimmy played bass.

Van handled guitar duties.

Together, they learned the mountain traditions Pop had spent decades preserving.

Those lessons slowly evolved into something extraordinary.

Small Victories Led to a Second Chance

In 1947, the Stoneman Family entered a talent competition at Constitution Hall.

They won.

The victory opened doors to appearances on local television, giving the family valuable experience before live audiences.

Nearly a decade later, fate intervened again.

In 1956, Pop appeared on NBC’s The Big Surprise, where contestants answered questions on specialized subjects.

His specialty was country music.

Drawing upon decades of experience and knowledge, Pop answered enough questions to win the show’s $10,000 grand prize.

For a man who had once lost nearly everything, the prize represented far more than money.

It gave him another opportunity.

That same year, several of his children appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts under the name Blue Grass Champs, earning national recognition of their own.

The family suddenly found itself back in the spotlight.

Recognizing the opportunity, Pop retired from factory work and devoted himself entirely to performing alongside his children.

A Family Sound Unlike Any Other

The Stoneman Family did not simply imitate traditional country music.

They energized it.

Scotty’s explosive fiddle playing blended with Roni’s fast-paced banjo, Donna’s mandolin, Jimmy’s bass, and Van’s guitar, while rich family harmonies tied everything together.

The result was an energetic style rooted in Appalachian traditions yet exciting enough for modern audiences.

Their performances quickly gained attention across the country.

Throughout the early 1960s, the family recorded albums, appeared at festivals, performed in clubs, visited the Grand Ole Opry, and made regular television appearances.

In 1964, they relocated to California, becoming part of the expanding West Coast country music scene.

Their popularity continued to grow.

Television Brought America Into Their Home

Perhaps the greatest boost came through television.

In 1966, the syndicated series Those Stonemans debuted.

The program combined music, comedy, and everyday family interactions, giving audiences a glimpse into the unique personalities behind the performances.

Unlike many television variety shows of the era, Those Stonemans felt authentic.

Viewers watched parents and children performing together, joking with one another, and celebrating the traditions that had survived decades of hardship.

The show introduced millions of Americans to the family’s remarkable chemistry.

It also prepared them for the biggest honor of their career.

Making Country Music History

The Country Music Association held its inaugural CMA Awards in 1967.

Competition was intense.

Among the nominees were some of country music’s biggest names, including the Statler Brothers, the Browns, Johnny Cash and June Carter, and the Anita Kerr Singers.

Yet when the winner was announced, it was the Stoneman Family who claimed history.

They became the first-ever recipients of the CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year.

For Pop Stoneman, the moment carried extraordinary meaning.

More than forty years earlier, he had helped establish country music as a recording genre.

Then he had watched everything disappear.

Now, standing beside the children he had taught after losing nearly everything, he witnessed them receive one of country music’s greatest honors.

The award represented far more than professional success.

It symbolized perseverance across generations.

Pop’s Final Chapter

Unfortunately, Pop’s health began declining during the family’s television years.

Even so, he continued performing as long as he was physically able.

He remained committed to entertaining audiences almost until the end of his life.

On June 14, 1968, Ernest “Pop” Stoneman passed away.

He lived just long enough to witness the remarkable comeback that many once believed impossible.

A Legacy That Continued

The Stoneman Family did not stop performing after Pop’s death.

Several of his children continued successful musical careers.

Among them, Roni Stoneman became especially well known, combining exceptional banjo skills with comedy as the beloved character Ida Lee Nagger on Hee Haw. She introduced the Stoneman name to an entirely new generation of country music fans.

Meanwhile, the family’s recordings continued preserving the mountain traditions Pop had cherished throughout his life.

More Than an Award

The CMA trophy could never replace everything the Great Depression had taken away.

It could not restore the home Pop lost.

It could not erase the years spent rebuilding from almost nothing.

But it proved something even more important.

The music that survived inside the modest home Pop rebuilt became stronger than the economic collapse that nearly ended his career.

Instead of being remembered only as an early recording pioneer whose success vanished during the Depression, Ernest “Pop” Stoneman became the patriarch of one of country music’s most influential families.

His story is ultimately not about losing everything.

It is about discovering that the most valuable inheritance is not wealth, fame, or possessions—it is the traditions, values, and passion passed from one generation to the next.

When the Stoneman Family became the first CMA Vocal Group of the Year in 1967, they were not simply accepting a trophy.

They were completing a journey that had begun decades earlier in the Blue Ridge Mountains, survived the darkest years of the Great Depression, and proved that true musical legacy can outlast even the greatest hardships.