A bit Andy Kaufman and a hint of Father John Misty, Dale Hollow possesses "a fascinating combination of performance and purveyed authenticity," as the lifestyle magazine Mundane once posited, while also noting that "no other country music artist has ever claimed to be the best, except for Dale Hollow."
Legend has it Dale actually tried to trademark the phrase "The Country Music Superstar," so every time someone like Luke Bryan, Loretta Lynn, Jessica Simpson, or Darius Rucker attached that phrase to their names, Dale gets some cash
And while Hollow can be purposely self-elevating, that seemingly tall tale is true. "I sent $150 to the copyright office...and I got denied instantly," he says. "That's why I use that parenthetical justification (trademark pending)."
A mysterious figure in the country music world, here's what we do know: Hollow, who hails from Nashville and is named after the Kentucky reservoir, had an inauspicious start to his music career. The future country legend was just trying to pay off $35,000 in back taxes. "I was trying to get cash fast," he admits. "But now things are taking off, so why hop off the Hollow Hype Train now?"