Polly Adelaide Hendricks Hazelwood, known professionally as Del Wood, was born on February 22, 1920, in Nashville, Tennessee. She began playing piano at age five, influenced by local country music and ragtime. In her 20s, Wood performed in bands and honky-tonk joints, becoming a staff pianist at WLBJ in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Her breakthrough came with the release of her recording of "Down Yonder", which became a national hit, selling over one million copies. This success led to appearances on the Grand Ole Opry starting in 1952 and a full-time gig there in 1953. Wood later signed with RCA Victor Records, releasing several albums, including Hot, Happy And Honky (1957) and Rags To Riches (1959). Known as the "Queen of the Ragtime Pianists", she continued to perform on the Opry until just before her death from a stroke on October 3, 1989.
