NPT documentary 'Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl' honors a beloved Ward-Belmont alumna

A woman immediately identifiable by her brightly flowered hat and the $1.98 price tag that dangled off its straw brim, Minnie Pearl was an icon of country music radio, stage, and television. For 50 years, the queen of country comedy performed as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, always greeting audiences with her signature “how-DEE!” and charming millions nationwide with her self-deprecating wit and her warm smile.

Last month, Nashville Public Television premiered a documentary that celebrates the life and legacy of Ward-Belmont alumna Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon ’32 and her beloved character Minnie Pearl. The film delves into Mrs. Cannon’s humble beginnings, her rise to stardom, and her lasting impact on the world of comedy and country music. 

In honor of what Mrs. Cannon meant to our school community and in recognition of her indelible contributions to Nashville, Harpeth Hall proudly sponsored the making of the film.

“The trajectory of Nashville’s international role in entertainment, medicine, and education has all been influenced by the groundbreaking work of Sarah Cannon, our beloved Minnie Pearl,” Harpeth Hall alumna Amy Grant Gill ‘78 said. “Knowing that we share the legacy of Ward Belmont/Harpeth Hall with her deepens each of our stories as we continue to carry that legacy into the future.”

Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with those who knew her best, “Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl” is a heartfelt and entertaining tribute to a true American icon. The film explores the duality between the personalities of Minnie and Mrs. Cannon and highlights their shared legacy of connection, empowerment, warmth, and whimsy. 

The documentary features interviews with Mrs. Cannon’s family and dear friends, including Bill Anderson, Garth Brooks, Brenda Lee, Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker. and Ms. Grant. Two other Harpeth Hall alumnae played significant roles in the making of the film — associate producer Jessica Turk ‘02 and production assistant Caroline Scudder ‘16. Harpeth Hall archivist and Belmont professor Mary Ellen Pethel also contributed historical research and interviews that helped tell the full story of Mrs. Cannon from her time at Ward-Belmont on.

“Minnie Pearl was a first in so many ways,” Dr. Pethel said. “She was a female comic and entertainer with the Grand Ole Opry, which catered to rural America. She was the ultimate trailblazer. Sarah was authentically Minnie when she was on stage, and she used her platform to bring people together and to make them laugh. Though she was one of the most recognizable figures in the country music world, the Minnie Pearl 'brand' was respected and recognized across all genres. This documentary pulls her story together through a wide variety of voices from friends to peers to historians, like me. Sarah's own voice is also used to help narrate the film — through audio recordings never-before-heard.”

Her story begins in small-town Tennessee and the all-girls high school and junior college in the nearby city of Nashville.

Becoming Minnie

Mrs. Cannon, a native of Centerville, Tennessee, and born the youngest of five girls, aspired to be an actress from a young age. She majored in dramatics at Nashville’s Ward-Belmont School, and she often inspired her classmates' laughter with her quick humor.

“At Ward-Belmont, Sarah was called Ophie, which came from her middle name Ophelia,” Dr. Pethel said. “And while her senior superlative was ‘Most Humorous,’ Sarah's parents sent her to Ward-Belmont because of the reputation of its drama department. She wanted to be a serious actress, she loved Shakespeare. It wasn't until many years later that she ‘leaned in’ to her natural comedic talents.”

After graduating from Ward-Belmont in 1932, she traveled for six or seven years as a theatre coach. It was on the road, while in a small community in northern Alabama, that she met a woman whose delightful country speech and lively mannerisms became the inspiration for Minnie Pearl.

Mrs. Cannon and her newly developed character soon became inseparable. She made her first professional appearance as Minnie Pearl in April 1939 at a women’s club function in South Carolina. Not long after, she caught the attention of radio executives from WSM in Nashville, and, in November 1940, debuted on the Grand Ole Opry.

“Minnie Pearl became the quintessential small-town spinster, preoccupied with chasing men and gossiping about her family and neighbors in the mythical town of Grinder’s Switch — Brother, Uncle Nabob, and sometime boyfriend Hezzie,” a biography on the Country Music Hall of Fame website says.

Mrs. Cannon later said, "Since the Lord did not give me children, perhaps He gave me Minnie Pearl. She's like my child, but she's like my sister. She's like my alter-ego. She's like somebody I'd like to be. She's a great pleasure to me."

The humanitarian beneath the hat

While Minnie made a name for herself as a performing artist, Mrs. Cannon made a difference in her community. 

In 1987, Mrs. Cannon received the Roy Acuff Community Service Award. This honor, created by The Tennessean and the Country Music Foundation, recognized “outstanding service to mankind” by country music artists. Mrs. Cannon received the honor for "her years of active involvement as a spokesperson and fundraiser for charitable and humanitarian organizations, both locally and nationally." She supported the American Cancer Society, whose National Courage award she received in 1987, the American Heart Association, Outlook Nashville, United Way, Big Brothers, the March of Dimes, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, the Bill Wilkerson Speech and Hearing Center, the Nashville Humane Association, and the E.A.R. Foundation, through which Sarah and Henry established a scholarship program for hearing impaired students.

She survived a personal bout with breast cancer and took every opportunity to inform the public about cancer prevention and detection and encourage cancer patients through their treatment. In January 1991, the Centennial Medical Center’s cancer center was renamed The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center.

In 1992, Mrs. Cannon was awarded the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists by the United States government, for her half-century of work. Mrs. Cannon also was the first recipient of the Ward-Belmont/Harpeth Hall Distinguished Alumna award in 1993. She died in March 1996.

“It has been a privilege to work on this project for the last two years,” said Ms. Turk, the documentary's associate producer. “The film is a reintroduction of Minnie Pearl, and it was important to me, as a Harpeth Hall alumna, that we not only tell the story of her incredible career but also highlight the values of a Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont graduate: to think critically, lead confidently, and live honorably. After you watch the film, it’s easy to see how Sarah Cannon embodied that motto.”

The new NPT documentary delves into the life of the groundbreaking female comedian and her humorous alter ego. It chronicles not only her fame but also the challenges throughout her life, including personal tragedy and the changing tides of the entertainment industry. 

“Sarah Cannon (aka Minnie Pearl) left an indelible mark in country music and beyond. What a privilege to share her story,” said Barb Hall, “Facing the Laughter” producer. “She created her own path that left a legacy of laughter, gratitude, and goodwill for those who followed to ‘pay forward.’ My hope is that audiences will be intrigued by her story and want to learn more.”