# Minnie Pearl's 114th Birthday

> Minnie Pearl, the Grand Ole Opry icon, celebrated 114 years of life today after a $1.98 price tag on her flowered hat.
- Title: Minnie Pearl's 114th Birthday · American Songwriter | Shortify
- Summary: Minnie Pearl, the Grand Ole Opry icon, celebrated 114 years of life today after a $1.98 price tag on her flowered hat. Minnie Pearl, born October 25, 1912…
- Keywords: minnie pearl, grand ole opry, sarah opelia colley, centerville tennessee, henry r cannon, 1912, 1947, 1991, 1996, nashville, carnegie hall, hee haw
- Source: American Songwriter — https://americansongwriter.com/born-114-years-ago-today-in-tennessee-the-queen-of-country-comedy-who-wore-a-1-98-price-tag-and-became-a-grand-ole-opry-icon
- Author: Erinn Callahan
- Published: 2026-10-25T09:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: minnie pearl, grand ole opry, sarah opelia colley, centerville tennessee, henry r cannon, 1912, 1947, 1991, 1996, nashville, carnegie hall, hee haw
## Minnie Pearl's Birth
Sarah Ophelia Colley was born in Centerville, Tennessee on October 25, 1912.
## Minnie Pearl's Double Life
By day, she was Sarah Colley Cannon, the educated wife of World War II pilot Henry R. Cannon; by night, she performed as Minnie Pearl.
## Minnie Pearl's Signature
She wore a flowered straw hat with a $1.98 price tag and a thrift-shop cotton-print dress.
## Minnie Pearl's Grand Ole Opry Debut
She made her Grand Ole Opry debut on November 30, 1940, after catching WSM radio executives' attention.
## Minnie Pearl's Legacy
She retired after a 1991 stroke and died in 1996 at age 83, becoming a Grand Ole Opry icon.
## Key takeaway

Minnie Pearl, born October 25, 1912, became a Grand Ole Opry icon with her comedy persona after a $1.98 price tag on her flowered hat.