There is wide agreement in the country music world that no one is as knowledgeable about the music as Eddie Stubbs. "Everybody understands that he knows more about it than anybody else, and they just defer to him," says country star and historian Marty Stuart. "He's a beacon. He's a reminder of greatness. Any time you need to know where the standard lies, tune in."

Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs concurs. "Eddie is one of the best things that ever happened to Nashville," he says. "All of the extra facts and information he provides about the music, well, no one else can do what he does."

From 8 p.m. until midnight Monday through Thursday and 6 until 10 Saturday mornings, Stubbs stands alone at the WSM mike, working without notes and dipping into his memory for the back story about songs and performers. "Little tidbits to try and help sell the artist, sell the record," he calls them.

....Listening to Stubbs's shows is tantamount to a distance-learning class at the University of Country Music. Unlike most DJs, he is given plenty of latitude as to what songs he can play. At WSM, there are a few he's required to include each night, but the majority are his own selections. His WAMU show, on the other hand — which he now records in Nashville — is entirely up to him.

His authoritative knowledge and easygoing, radio-rich voice were instrumental in helping Stubbs land a premier gig, one of the three regular announcers at the Grand Ole Opry, which hosts the longest continuously running radio broadcast in history. Every Friday and Saturday night he shares duties with his fellow announcers, welcoming the audience at the show's 4,400-seat venue and introducing Opry legends like Little Jimmy Dickens and Porter Wagoner.

It is a dream come true for the kid from Gaithersburg, whose dad taught him to play the fiddle at age 4. For Stubbs, who had visited the Opry as a youngster with his parents, the program is sacred territory.

"Don't ever forget what you're seeing here tonight," he whispers urgently to a visitor backstage at the Opry earlier this year. "History is passing us by, and this is a very special place." [Washington Post] There's nothing like the zeal of a missionary - today's pop country is decidedly lacking in soul. I'll take the old time religion every time.