▁mus icians ▁to ▁perform ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁a ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁( Cal vin ▁C ool idge , ▁at ▁a ▁Press ▁Cor respond ents ' ▁gather ing ) ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁a ▁movie ▁( a ▁ 1 5 - min ute ▁Warner ▁B ros ./ V it aph one ▁short ▁released ▁along ▁with ▁Al ▁J ol son ' s ▁The ▁Sing ing ▁F ool ). ▁ ▁Family ▁and ▁musical ▁influ ences ▁Hop kins ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁W ata uga ▁County , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁an ▁area ▁known ▁for ▁the ▁rich ness ▁of ▁its ▁folk ▁culture . ▁His ▁father , ▁John ▁Benjamin ▁Hop kins , ▁a ▁som etime ▁North ▁Carolina ▁state ▁legisl ator , ▁built ▁org ans ▁as ▁a ▁h ob by , ▁played ▁the ▁fiddle , ▁piano , ▁and ▁organ , ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁good ▁re per toire ▁of ▁traditional ▁fiddle ▁t unes . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Cel ia ▁Isabel ▁Green ▁Hop kins , ▁sang ▁old ▁ball ads ▁and ▁church ▁music , ▁among ▁other ▁t unes . ▁Hop kins ▁and ▁his ▁sib lings ▁all ▁showed ▁musical ▁talent ▁early . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁the ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁and ▁Hop kins ' ▁father ▁went ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau . ▁His ▁sister ▁Lucy ▁later ▁remarked ▁that ▁Al ▁and ▁his ▁brothers ▁and ▁sister s ▁also ▁had ▁plenty ▁of ▁expos ure ▁to ▁the ▁popular ▁music ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁