February 23, 2007



1947 -  Minnie Pearl (Sarah Colley) married Henry Cannon 

1951  - Johnnie and Jack's classic single "Poison Love" charted

1952 -  Pianist Del Wood debuted on the Grand Ole Opry

1957 -  Porter Wagoner joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1971 -  The albums Charley Pride's 10th Album, Charley Pride in Person and Just Plain Charley are certified gold 

1978 -  Kenny Rogers won his first Grammy for "Lucille"

1988 -  Hank Williams Jr.'s Born To Boogie album certified platinum 

1991 -  Mike Reid's single, "Walk on Faith," hit No. 1 on the country singles chart; it was the first single released by the songwriter, who formerly had been an NFL defensive player 

2000  - Vince Gill won his 14th Grammy, tying him with Chet Atkins for most Grammys won by a Nashville artist 

2000  - Sara Evans' No Place That Far album certified gold, her first 













2002 LeAnn Rimes (age 19) married actor Dean Sheremet 

February 24, 2007




1969 Johnny Cash recorded his live album, Johnny Cash at San Quentin 

1982 Dolly Parton won two Grammys for "9 to 5" -- best country song and best country female vocal performance 

1987 Reba McEntire won her first Grammy for "Whoever's in New England" 

1999 The Dixie Chicks won their first Grammys (best country vocal group and best country album) 

2001 Keith Urban scored his first No. 1 single with "But for the Grace of God" 

February 25, 2007



1949 Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" released by MGM

1955 Webb Pierce recorded the No. 1 single "I Don't Care" for Decca 

1956 Elvis Presley scored his first No. 1 country hit, "I Forgot to Remember to Forget"

1981 George Jones won his first Grammy for "He Stopped Loving Her Today" 

1986 Rosanne Cash won a Grammy for "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me," a song inspired by failing to win after a previous Grammy nomination

1987 George Strait sold out all 49,000 seats at the Houston Astrodome in less than 24 hours, the fastest sellout there ever 

1995 Wade Hayes scored his first No. 1 with "Old Enough to Know Better"

1998 Johnny Cash won a Grammy for his album Unchained 

February 26, 2007



1955 The Louvin Brothers debuted on the Grand Ole Opry 

1955 Webb Pierce's "In the Jailhouse Now" began the first of 21 weeks atop the country singles charts, making it the biggest country hit of the year and the biggest hit of Pierce's career 

1976 Willie Nelson won his first Grammy for "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" 

1994 The Desert Rose Band gave its final concert in Indio, Calif. 
opry_debut

1997 LeAnn Rimes won Grammys for best new artists and best female country vocal performance 

2001 Toby Keith's How Do You Like Me Now album certified platinum

2001 Martina McBride's Evolution album certified triple platinum 

February 27, 2007


 

1961 Marty Robbins began 10-week run at No. 1 with "Don't Worry"

1980 Kenny Rogers won the best male country Grammy for "The Gambler" 

1999 SHeDAISY made their chart debut with "Little Good-byes" 

2001 Brad Paisley's Who Needs Pictures album certified platinum 

February 28, 2007



1949 Tennessee Ernie Ford released his first single, "Tennessee Border," for Capitol 

1976 Linda Ronstadt won her first Grammy as best country female vocal performance for "I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love with You" 

1976 Willie Nelson won his first Grammy for "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain"

1986 Barbara Mandrell performed at L.A.'s Universal Amphitheater as the first concert following a near-fatal auto accident 

1996 Shania Twain won her first Grammy for her album The Woman in Me 

1997 Brooks & Dunn's Waitin' on Sundown album certified triple platinum 

1998 Anita Cochran's duet with Steve Wariner, "What If I Said," went to No. 1 

 

March 1, 2007



1947 Eddy Arnold's No. 1 single "What Is Life Without Love?" charted 

1949 Hank Williams recorded the Top 20 single "Lost Highway" for MGM 

1952 Faron Young's first Capitol recording session 

1952 Uncle Dave Macon made his last Grand Ole Opry appearance 

1957 Buck Owens signed with Capitol Records

1967 Johnny Cash and June Carter recorded the Top 10 single "Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man" for Columbia 

1968 Johnny Cash married June Carter in Franklin, Ky

1969 Barbara Mandrell signed her first major label contract with Columbia 

1972 Merle Haggard granted a full pardon by California Gov. Ronald Reagan 

1973 MCA Records established in Universal City, Calif. 

1991 The Real Patsy Cline long-form video certified gold 

1991 Hank Williams Jr.'s Full Access long-form video certified platinum 

1996 Alison Krauss's breakthrough Now That I've Found You anthology certified double platinum 

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March 2, 2007



1949 Hank Williams recorded "Honky Tonk Blues" for MGM 

1962 Ernest Tubb recorded classic "Drivin' Nails in My Coffin" for Decca 

1964 Jim & Jesse McReynolds joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1967 Jeannie Seely won a Grammy for "Don't Touch Me" 

1967 Ray Charles won a Grammy for "Crying Time," written by Buck Owens 

1984 The Whites joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1985 Gary Morris' single "Baby Bye Bye" went to No. 1

1987 The Trio album featuring Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt released 

1996 Martina McBride scored her first No. 1 hit with the single "Wild Angels" 

March 3, 2007




1959 Lefty Frizzell recorded the classic single "The Long Black Veil"

1966 Buffalo Springfield, the band featuring Neil Young and Stephen Stills, formed in Hollywood

1973 Charley Pride won a Grammy for best male country vocal performance 

1979 PBS television aired a live Grand Ole Opry telecast 

1980 Waylon Jennings' What Goes Around album certified gold 

1986 Boudleaux and Felice Bryant inducted into The National Songwriter's Hall of Fame in New York City 

1986 Dwight Yoakam's debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., released 

1998 Faith Hill's single "This Kiss" released for sale 

2000 Tracy Lawrence's Time Marches On album certified double platinum 

2000 John Michael Montgomery's fourth album, What I Do the Best, certified platinum 

March 4, 2007




1951 Pee Wee King recorded the No. 1 country and pop single "Slow Poke" for RCA 

1978 The Grand Ole Opry was televised live for the first time on PBS as a fundraiser 

1980 Coal Miner's Daughter, starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, premiered in Nashville 

1983 George Jones married Nancy Sepulveda in Woodville, Texas 

1985 George Strait's first Greatest Hits album released 

2000 Rascal Flatts made their chart debut with "Prayin' for Daylight" 

March 5, 2007




1936 Milton Brown and his Musical Brownies recorded their last Decca session 

1960 George Hamilton IV joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1963 Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, Patsy Cline and Randy Hughes died in a plane crash in Camden, Tenn.

1963 Johnny Cash recorded the classic "The Ballad Of Ira Hayes" for Columbia 
 
1968 King Records founder Syd Nathan died at age 64 

1973 Alabama appeared for first time at the Bowery Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C. 

1983 Ronnie Dunn debuted on the country charts as a solo act with "It's Written All Over Your Face" on the Churchill label. Eight years later, he'd return to the charts as the lead singer of Brooks & Dunn 

1997 Zeke Campbell, pioneering electric guitarist with the Western swing band Light Crust Doughboys, died 
joined_opry

March 6, 2007


 
1968 The Best Of Buck Owens album certified gold 

1976 Emmylou Harris's first No. 1 single, "Together Again," charted

1983 The Country Music Television (CMT) cable channel debuted

1990 Travis Tritt's debut album, Country Club, released     

1999 Sara Evans scored her first No. 1 single with "There's No Place That Far" 

1999 George Jones was seriously injured when his SUV crashed into a bridge near Franklin, Tenn. 

2004 Dierks Bentley's self-titled debut album certified gold 

2004 Rascal Flatts' Melt album certified double platinum 

2004 Montgomery Gentry's My Town album certified platinum 

2004 Martina McBride's Greatest Hits album certified triple platinum 

March 7, 2007



1951 Webb Pierce records his first session for Dec

1953 Patsy Cline married her first husband, Gerald Cline; they divorced four years later 

1961 Buck Owens recorded "Heartaches by the Number" for Capitol 

1971 Gilley's club opened in Pasadena, Texas 

1983 The Nashville Network debuted in seven million homes 

1983 Living Proof, the made-for-TV movie of Hank Williams Jr.'s life, is televised 

1983 The first telecast of TNN's Nashville Now talk show, hosted by Ralph Emery 

1985 Randy Travis made his Grand Ole Opry debut 

2000 George Jones' Cold Hard Truth album certified gold a year after his near-fatal car crash 

March 8, 2007



1991 The Judds' Love Can Build a Bridge album certified gold 

March 9, 2007



1941 Wiley Walker and Gene Sullivan recorded "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again" 

1957 The Badge of Marshall Brennan, starring Carl Smith, premiered 

1964 The Statler Brothers opened for Johnny Cash for the first time at a show in Canton, Ohio. Cash was impressed and invited them to become his regular opening act and join his road show, which they remained a part of until 1972 

1974 The last regular Saturday night performance of the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville 

1991 Alan Jackson scored his first No 1 hit on the Billboard charts with "I'd Love You All Over Again" 

1998 LeAnn Rimes' single "How Do I Live" certified triple platinum

2002 Jo Dee Messina and Tim McGraw scored a No. 1 hit with "Bring on the Rain" 

March 10, 2007



1963 Patsy Cline was buried in her hometown of Winchester, Va. 

1964 Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn recorded their first duet for Decca, "Love Was Right Here All the Time," 

1979 James Brown made a guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry

2000 Vince Gill and Amy Grant were married in Nashville 

2001 Diamond Rio's "One More Day" hit No. 1 on the country singles chart 

2004 Kenny Chesney's When the Sun Goes Down album certified double platinum 

2004 Alan Jackson's Greatest Hits, Vol. II album certified triple platinum 

March 11, 2007



1970 Tammy Wynette won a Grammy for best female country vocal performance for "Stand By Your Man" 

1971 Merle Haggard's The Fightin' Side of Me album certified gold 

1972 Crystal Gayle first appeared on the country music charts 

1987 William Lee Golden asked to leave the Oak Ridge Boys 

2000 George Strait and Alan Jackson's "Murder on Music Row" entered the charts 

2000 Joe Diffie and Theresa Crump were married 

March 13, 2007



1964 Jimmy Martin recorded classic "The Sunny Side of the Mountain" for Decca 

1965 Dick Curless debuts on the chart with "A Tombstone Every Mile"

1965 The Statler Brothers recorded their first hit, "Flowers on the Wall" 

1967 Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits album released four years after her death 
 
1975 George Jones and Tammy Wynette divorced 

1976 The Bellamy Brothers had their first song on the country (and pop) charts with "Let Your Love Flow" 

1999 The Dixie Chicks' "You Were Mine" became their third No. 1 single 

1999 Trisha Yearwood became the 71st member of the Grand Ole Opry cast 

2002 Chris Cagle's first album, Play It Loud, certified gold 

March 14, 2007




1943 Ernest Tubb debuted on the Grand Ole Opry 

1970 Dave Dudley's No. 1 single, "The Pool Shark," charted 

1992 John Anderson scored his first No. 1 in eight years with "Straight Tequila Night" 

2000 Lonestar's crossover smash "Amazed" certified gold 

March 15, 2007




1949 Moon Mullican recorded classic "I'll Sail My Ship Alone" 

1950 Flatt and Scruggs released "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" on Mercury 

1951 Ray Price's first Columbia recording session 

1952 Hank Thompson's charted his first No. 1 single with "Wild Side Of Life"

1956 Colonel Tom Parker signed management deal with Elvis Presley

1965 Roger Miller won six trophies at the eighth annual Grammy Awards   

1968 Buck Owens' It Takes People Like You to Make People Like Me album became the singer's 11th consecutive album to top Billboard's country albums chart

1974 The Opry had its final Friday night performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville 

1985 Anne Murray's A Little Good News album certified gold

1996 Bill Monroe's final performance on the Friday Night Opry 

1996 Lorrie Morgan's Greatest Hits certified platinum 
 
1997 Deana Carter's "We Danced Anyway" became her second No. 1 

1997 Lee Ann Womack made her chart debut with "Never Again, Again" 

March 16, 2007



1922 Atlanta radio station WSB, a pioneer in broadcasting country music, went on the air 

1946 Grandpa Jones debuted on the Grand Ole Opry 

1951 Hank Williams recorded "Hey Good Lookin'" and "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)" 

1974 The new Grand Ole Opry House opened 

1987 George Strait's Ocean Front Property album certified gold

1991 Eight members of Reba McEntire's band and road show died in an airplane crash near San Diego, Calif.

1995 David Ball's "Thinkin' Problem" album certified platinum 

1996 Bill Monroe gave his final Grand Ole Opry performance 

2002 Tim McGraw's single "The Cowboy in Me" hit No. 1 

2004 Trace Adkins' Comin' On Strong album certified gold 

2005 Gary Allan's See If I Care album certified gold 

March 17, 2007



1951 Bill Monroe recorded "Kentucky Waltz" for Decca 

1972 In her first session, 13-year-old Tanya Tucker recorded "Delta Dawn," destined to be a Top 10 hit 

1981 PBS's annual fundraising broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry was televised for the last time 

1984 Eddy Raven's first No. 1 single, "I Got Mexico," charted

2000 Elizabeth Cook, without a record deal, made the first of more than 100 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry   

2001 With Dan Tyminski on lead vocals, the Soggy Bottom Boys' "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" (from the film O Brother, Where Art Thou) made its chart debut 

March 18, 2007


1958 Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper recorded "Big Midnight Special" for Hickory 

1967 Lynn Anderson's first Top 10, "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)," charted 

2000 Toby Keith's "How Do You Like Me Now?!" began a five-week stay atop the country singles chart 

March 19, 2007



1953 Tex Ritter performed the theme from the western movie "High Noon" on the Academy Awards Show; that night the song won as Best Original Song, the first country song to be honored with an Oscar 

1960 Tootsie's Orchid Lounge opened in downtown Nashville

1963 Buck Owens and Rose Maddox recorded the classic "Sweethearts in Heaven," for Capitol   

1988 Ricky Van Shelton scored a No. 1 hit with Harlan Howard's song "Life Turned Her That Way" 

1994 Neal McCoy scored his first No. 1 single with "No Doubt About It" 

March 20, 2007



1948 Eddy Arnold's No. 1 single "Anytime" charted

1949 Hank Williams recorded the classic "Wedding Bells" 

1961 Faron Young's No. 1 single, "Hello Walls," charted 

1963 George Hamilton IV recorded the No. 1 single "Abilene" 

1984 The Judds did their first concert, opening for the Statler Brothers in Omaha, Neb. 

1991 K.T. Oslin's long-form video, Love in a Small Town certified gold 

2002 Alison Krauss & Union Station's New Favorite album certified gold 

March 21, 2007



1953 The Carlisles debut on the Grand Ole Opry appearance 

1962 Flatt and Scruggs recorded "Life of Trouble" for Columbia 

1993 Anne Murray inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame 

March 22, 2007



1956 Carl Perkins and his brother, Jay, were seriously injured in a car crash en route to New York for an appearance on The Perry Como Show 

1958 Hank Williams Jr., age 8, makes his stage debut in Swainsboro, Ga. 

1962 Tennessee Ernie Ford's Nearer the Cross album certified gold 

1980 Melvin Sloan made his Opry debut as leader of the Tennessee Travelers dance troupe, soon to be renamed the Melvin Sloan Dancers 

1988 K.T. Oslin's 80's Ladies album certified gold 

March 23, 2007



1957 Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper perform for the last time as members of the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree 

1951 Hank and Audrey Williams recorded "The Pale Horse and His Rider" for MGM 

1963 Jimmie Skinner signed with Starday Records 

1988 Emmylou Harris' Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town album certified gold 

1952 Marty Robbins' first Columbia record, "Love Me Or Leave Me Alone" b/w "Tomorrow You'll Be Gone," released 

1958 Elvis Presley sworn into the U.S. Army 

1966 Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits album certified gold 

1973 Tanya Tucker's first No. 1 single, "What's Your Mama's Name," charted 

1999 Vince Gill's When Love Finds You album certified quadruple platinum 

1999 Reba McEntire's Rumor Has It album certified triple platinum 

1999 LeAnn Rimes' debut album, Blue, certified 6x platinum 

1999 George Strait's first Christmas album, Merry Christmas Strait to You, certified double platinum 

March 25, 2007



1925 Crystal Springs Dance Hall near Fort Worth, Texas officially opened their doors to the public 

1935 Steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe joined the Texas Playboys 

1939 Billboard published its first "Hillbilly Records" chart 

1947 Johnnie and Jack's first recording session 

1948 Merle Travis recorded "Deck of Cards" for Capitol

1950 Hank Williams' No. 1 single, "Long Gone Lonesome Blues," charted 

1953 Webb Pierce recorded the No. 1 single, "There Stands the Glass," for Decca 

1960 Roy Orbison recorded his first hit, "Only the Lonely" 

1963 Johnny Cash recorded the No. 1 single, "Ring of Fire," for Columbia 

1966 Buck Owens played a sold-out Carnegie Hall; the concert was recorded for his live Carnegie Hall Concert album released later that year 

1971 Lynn Anderson's Rose Garden album certified gold 

1972 Donna Fargo's first No. 1 single, "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.," charted 

1989 Garth Brooks made his chart debut with "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" 

1991 The Charlie Daniels Band's Homefolks and Highways long-form video certified gold 

1997 John Michael Montgomery's self-titled third album certified quadruple platinum 

March 26, 2007



1952 A Grand Ole Opry troupe featuring Hank Williams, the Carter Sisters, and Roy Acuff appeared on Kate Smith's TV show 

1990 Rodney Crowell's Diamonds & Dirt album certified gold 

1991 Alan Jackson's Here in the Real World long form video certified gold 

2002 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's landmark Will the Circle Be Unbroken album was reissued in a 30th anniversary edition by Capitol Records with bonus tracks and additional artwork 

April 2, 2007



1931 Guitarist Kenneth "Thumbs" Carlille born in St. Louis, Mo.
 
1936 Singer-songwriter Warner Mack born Warner MacPherson in Nashville 

1941 Songwriter Sonny Throckmorton born in Carlsbad, N.M. 

1942 Leon Russell born in Lawton, Okla. 

1947 Emmylou Harris born in Birmingham, Ala. 

1962 Billy Dean born in Quincy, Fla. 

1949 Red Foley's classic single, "Tennessee Border," charted 

1994 Tim McGraw's first Top 10 country single, "Indian Outlaw," hit No. 15 on the Billboard pop chart 

1994 Little Texas scored their first No. 1 single with "My Love" 

1983 Singer, songwriter and steel guitarist Cliff Carlisle, 78, died in Lexington, Ky. 

1979 Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver formed 

1987 Sweet Dreams soundtrack album certified gold 

1984 Alabama's Roll On album certified gold and platinum 

April 5, 2007



1927 Early country blues duet Darby & Tarlton made their first records for Columbia

1952 Eddy Arnold's No. 1 single, "Easy On the Eyes," charted 
 
1959 Flatt & Scruggs recorded "Cabin On the Hill" for Columbia 

1978 Jimmy Buffett's Son of a Son of a Sailor album certified gold

1995 Alan Jackson's Don't Rock the Jukebox album certified quadruple platinum 

1995 Pam Tillis' second Arista album, Homeward Looking Angel, certified platinum

1997 Trace Adkins scored his first No. 1 single with "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing"

April 6, 2007



1928 Jimmie Rodgers released "In the Jailhouse Now" on Victor 

1956 Elvis Presley signed a three-picture deal with Paramount Pictures only five days after his first Hollywood screen test 

1957 Marty Robbins and Ray Price receive Golden Guitar Awards 

1957 Brenda Lee debuted on the country charts with "One Step at a Time"

1968 Ray Charles' Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 2 certified gold 

1968 The Grand Ole Opry was canceled for the only time in its history due to a 7 p.m. curfew in Nashville following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. two days earlier in Memphis 
 
1991 Garth Brooks' "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" became his fifth No. 1 hit 

1998 Clay Walker's Rumour Has It album certified platinum 



 

April 8, 2007



1942 Capitol Records founded by Johnny Mercer, Glenn Wallichs and Buddy DeSylva in Hollywood 

1954 Stuart Hamblen recorded the classic single, "This Ole House"

1957 The Jimmy Dean Show premiered on CBS 

1958 Johnny Cash recorded the No. 1 single, "Guess Things Happen That Way," 

April 21, 2007


1947 Hank Williams recorded his first sides for MGM

1951 Rex Allen's first Top 10 single, "Sparrow in the Tree Top," charted

1956 Jim Reeves recorded No. 1 hit, "Bimbo," for Abbott Records

1960 Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan cut their first session for Liberty Records 

1969 Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton recorded the classic duet, "Just Someone I Used to Know" 

1970 Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton recorded "Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man" 

1974 Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton performed their last concert together in Salina, Kan.

1987 The Monument Records label acquired by CBS Records 

1987 Reba McEntire's What Am I Gonna Do About You album certified gold

1994 Confederate Railroad's Notorious album certified gold     

1995 Brooks and Dunn's "Little Miss Honky Tonk" went to No. 1 

1998 Faith Hill's third album, Faith, released

2000 Neal Matthews, second tenor for the Jordanaires, died at age 70 in Nashville   

2002 CMT Crossroads featuring ZZ Top and Brook & Dunn first aired 

April 26, 2007




1941 Ernest Tubb recorded classic "Walking the Floor Over You" for Decca 

1947 Roy Acuff returned to the Grand Ole Opry as host of the Royal Crown Cola Show 

1952 Martha Carson joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1980 Dottie West had her first solo No. 1 single with "A Lesson in Leavin'" 

1995 Pam Tillis' third Arista album, Sweethearts Dance, certified platinum 

April 30, 2007


1951 Ray Price's first single, "If You're Ever Lonely Darling," released on Columbia 

1966 Ray Pillow joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1974 Merle Haggard recorded the No. 1 single "Old Man From the Mountain" 

1988 Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell scored a No. 1 single with "It's Such a Small World" 

1994 Faith Hill's "Piece of My Heart," a cover of the Janis Joplin pop hit, became her second country No. 1
 
1998 Session steel guitarist Curly Chalker died at age 66 
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May 1, 2007


1868 Thomas C. Dula (later immortalized in the ballad, "Tom Dooley") hanged for the murder of Laura Foster in Wilkes County, N.C. 

1952 Flatt and Scruggs released "Old Salty Dog Blues" on Mercury 

1954 Andy Griffith debuted on the Grand Ole Opry 

1957 The Louvin Brothers recorded classic "Making Believe" for Capitol 

1957 Minnie Pearl (Sarah Colley) appeared on NBC's This Is Your Life 

1967 Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas 

1980 Loretta Lynn chosen Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music 

1993 Charley Pride joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1993 Tracy Lawrence's "Alibis" hit No. 1 on the country singles chart 

1996 Steve Earle's Copperhead Road album certified gold 

1997 Gaylord Entertainment CEO E. W. "Bud" Wendell, former Grand Ole Opry manager and now a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, retired 

1999 Charlie Robison married Emily Erwin of the Dixie Chicks 

May 4, 2007


1957 Gene Vincent recorded "Be Bop a Lula"

1959 The Kingston Trio won the first country Grammy for "Tom Dooley" 

1963 Hawkshaw Hawkins' recording of "Lonesome 7-7203" went to No. 1

1963 The Wilburn Brothers nationally syndicated television show debuted in 19 markets 

1974 Bobby Bare's "Marie Laveau" goes to No. 1

1975 Marty Robbins wrecked his car racing in the NASCAR Winston 500 in Talladega, Ala. 

1991 Dolly Parton and Ricky Van Shelton's duet "Rockin' Years" hit No. 1 

1996 Shania Twain's "You Win My Love" became her third No. 1 single 

May 5, 2007


1935 The Carter Family recorded their first sides for ARC 

1950 Carl Smith signed his first recording contract with Columbia Records 

1962 Claude King's No. 1 single "Wolverton Mountain" charted

1974 Marty Robbins finished 15th at the NASCAR Winston 500 at Talladega, Ala.

1979 John Conlee's "Backside of Thirty" goes to No. 1 

1987 Randy Travis' second album, Always and Forever, released 

1989 Ronnie Milsap's Greatest Hits Volume 2 certified platinum 

May 11, 2007


1914 Singer and radio personality Bob Atcher born in Hardin County, Ky. 
1955 Mark Herndon, drummer with Alabama, born in Springfield, Mass. 

1978 Songwriter Glenn Sherley, who wrote Johnny Cash's "Greystone Chapel," died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Gonzales, Calif. 
1979 Lester Flatt, age 64, died in Nashville, Tennessee 
1979 Fiddler John Ashby, age 63, died 
1996 Singer-songwriter Walter Hyatt (Uncle Walt's Band) died in a plane crash in Florida 
1999 Songwriter and author Shel Silverstein died in Key West, Fla. 

1996 Steve Wariner became a Grand Ole Opry cast member 

1957 The Everly Brothers debuted on the Grand Ole Opry 

1992 Willie Nelson's Honeysuckle Rose album was certified multi-platinum with sales of 2 million 

2002 Cyndi Thomson married musician Daniel Goodman 

June 10, 2007



1931 Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family recorded "Why There's a Tear in My Eye" 

]1931 Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family recorded "The Wonderful City" 

1942 Gene Autry recorded "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" 

1964 Buck Owens recorded the #1 single "Love's Gonna Live Here" 

1964 Buck Owens recorded the #1 single "Together Again" 

1978 Willie Nelson's Stardust album goes to #1, enjoying a total of 551 weeks on the charts 

1978 Willie Nelson's single "Georgia On My Mind" goes #1 

1985 Gaylord Entertainment purchased Acuff-Rose Publications, the legendary music publishing house founded by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose 

1986 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band celebrated its 20th anniversary with a performance at Red Rocks, Colorado 

1988 Ricky Van Shelton joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1988 Herman Crook, harmonica player for the the Crook Brothers, died at age 89 

1997 Country singer and actress Carolina Cotton (born Helen Hagstrom) died at age 70 

June 12, 2007



1928 Jimmie Rodgers recorded "My Old Pal" 

1928 Jimmie Rodgers recorded "Mississippi Moon" 

1928 Jimmie Rodgers recorded "Daddy And Home" 

1928 Jimmie Rodgers recorded "I'm Lonely And Blue" 

1931 Jimmie Rodgers & the Carter Family recorded "Jimmie Rodgers Visits the Carter Family" 

1931 Jimmie Rodgers & the Carter Family recorded "The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers in Texas" 

1945 Johnny Bond recorded "Sad, Sad and Blue" 

1949 Ernest Tubb recorded the Top 10 single "My Filipino Rose" 

1949 Ernest Tubb recorded the Top 10 single "My Tennessee Baby" 

1949 Ernest Tubb recorded the #1 single "Slipping Around" 

1949 Ernest Tubb recorded the Top 10 single "Warm Red Wine" 

1954 Ferlin Husky joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1965 Tex Ritter joined the Grand Ole Opry 

June 20, 2007



1953 Eddy Arnold's Top Ten single "Free Home Demonstration" charted 

1960 Bill Anderson's first Top 10 single "Tip of My Fingers" charted 

1977 Jimmy Buffett's "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" album certified gold 1977. 

August 9, 2007


1952 Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" went No. 1 

1953 The Stanley Brothers had their first recording sessions for Mercury 

1958 Hylo Brown recorded his classic self-titled album for Capitol

1967 Jimmy Martin recorded "Goin' Ape (Over You)" and "Steal Away Somewhere and Die" 

1975 Asleep at the Wheel's only Top 10, "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read," charted 

1991 Bill Monroe undergoes double bypass surgery 

 

December 10, 2007


1927 WSM Barn Dance officially renamed the Grand Ole Opry 

1966 Tammy Wynette makes her chart debut with "Apartment No. 9" 

1973 Charlie Rich's single "The Most Beautiful Girl" is certified gold 

1977 John Anderson makes his chart debut with "I Got a Feelin' (Somebody's Stealin')" 

1982 Long-time Smoky Mountain Boy and Hee Haw cast member Jimmie Riddle died at the age of 64 in Nashville 

1996 Faron Young died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound 

1996 Band leader and singer/mandolinist John Duffey of the Country Gentlemen died 

2001 Billy Gilman's debut album, One Voice, certified double platinum 

2002 An Evening With the Dixie Chicks, the group's second NBC-TV special debuted 

 

December 12, 2007


1957 Jerry Lee Lewis, age 22, married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown; the marriage lasted 13 years but the scandal wrecked Lewis' career for a decade.

1970 Dolly Parton's first Number One single, "Joshua," debuted on the charts.   
 

December 27, 2007


1963 Merle Haggard debuted on the charts with "Sing a Sad Song" 

1979 Jimmy Buffett's Volcano album is certified gold 

January 2, 2008



1970 Marty Robbins recorded his No. 1 single, "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" 

1998 Shania Twain's crossover smash single "You're Still the One" released for sale 

January 3, 2008


1982 Ricky Skaggs' album Highways and Heartaches went platinum 

2000 LeAnn Rimes' self-titled fifth album certified platinum 

January 4, 2008



1923 WBAP radio in Fort Worth, Texas broadcast the first "barn dance" 

1953 Hank Williams funeral takes place in Montgomery, Ala. 

1955 Tennessee Ernie Ford's daytime TV variety show debuted 

1969 Dolly Parton joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1969 George Jones joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1969 Johnny Cash's "Daddy Sang Bass," featuring June Carter and the Statler Brothers, began six weeks at No. 1 on the country singles chart 

1990 William Lee Golden (Oak Ridge Boys) wed Brenda Kaye Hall 

1992 Collin Raye scored his first No. 1 hit with "Love, Me" 

2003 Hank Williams Jr. and Hank Williams III share the stage for the first time when they performed together at the Grand Ole Opry in honor of the 50th anniversary of Hank Williams Sr.'s death 

January 10, 2008


1948 Loretta Webb married Oliver "Mooney" Lynn

1950 Hank Williams made his first recordings as "Luke the Drifter" 

1956 Elvis Presley recorded his first Nashville session 

1969 Glen Campbell's Hey, Little One album certified gold 

1981 Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith opened on Broadway in the "Pirates of Penzance" 

1989 Sony Music purchased Tree Publishing Company for $40 million 

1991 Clint Black joined the Grand Ole Opry 

1995 Johnny Rodriguez wed Lana Nelson

1995 The Kentucky HeadHunters' debut album, Pickin' on Nashville, certified double platinum 

1997 The Patsy Cline Story album certified platinum 

1997 Wynonna's self-titled solo debut album certified quintuple platinum 

January 19, 2008



1958 Carl Perkins, formerly of Sun Records, signed with Columbia Records and became that label's first rockabilly artist 

1990 Reba McEntire makes her movie debut in Tremors 

1953 Marty Robbins debuted on the Grand Ole Opry 

1954 Johnny Bond recorded comedy classic "Ten Little Bottles" for Columbia 

1954 George Jones, age 22, made his first recordings for Starday Records 

2005 Toby Keith recorded "Honky Tonk U" in Nashville 

January 23, 2008



1940 Johnny Russell born in Roundaway, Miss. 

1982 Ricky Skaggs' first No. 1 single, "Crying My Heart Out Over You," debuted on the chart 

1972 T. Texas Tyler died at the age of 55 

1993 Wayne Raney, "The Harmonica Wizard," died at age 71 

1993 Gospel songwriter Thomas A. Dorsey died 

1957 Patsy Cline made her first appearance on the Arthur Godfrey Time morning television program just two days after winning his prime time Talent Scouts show. That same day, her first husband, Gerald Cline, filed for divorce 

1987 Reba McEntire's Whoever's in New England album certified gold 

1959 Flatt and Scruggs recorded "Crying My Heart Out Over You" for Columbia 

January 24, 2008


1953 Eddy Arnold's No. 1 single "Eddy's Song" charted 

1981 Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" hit No. 1 on the country singles chart 

1991 Steel guitarist Shot Jackson died at age 70 in Nashville 

1998 Justin Tubb died 

1955 Bob Wills' first Decca recording session 

1957 Mel Tillis' first Columbia recording session 

December 30, 2008



2006 Newcomer Kellie Pickler takes in her first hockey game. She's in the seats at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center as the Predators shutout the Boston Bruins, 5-0. She's also destined to date one of Nashville's players, Jordin Tootoo 

2004 Boston Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon marries Michelle Mangan, at the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes Hotel, in Orlando, Florida. Damon walks down the aisle to the strains of Brooks & Dunn's "Brand New Man" 

2001 Neal McCoy joins Wayne Newton and comedian Drew Carey in performing for American troops at the Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan, part of the USO's Deliver America Tour 

1984 Gary Morris' run in a New York production of the opera "La Boheme" ends after 2-1/2 months 

1962 Brenda Lee suffers a minor eye injury and has her hair singed when she tries unsuccessfully to rescue her poodle, CeeCee, from a house fire in Nashville. Lee's nine-room home, valued at $37,000 is destroyed along with $25,000 worth of clothing 

1956 Suzy Bogguss born in Aledo, Illinois. She earns respect for her easy-going vocal skills and adept song selection in the 1990s, gaining thoughtful hits with "Outbound Plane," "Just Like The Weather," "Aces" and "Letting Go" 

1950 Lefty Frizzell makes his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, singing "If You've Got The Money, I've Got The Time" and "I Love You A Thousand Ways" 

1944 Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys appear on the Grand Ole Opry, causing a stir when Monte Mountjoy's drum set is moved onto the stage at the last minute. Drums were previously not allowed. Their first number is "New San Antonio Rose" 

1937 John Hartford born in New York. The multi-instrumentalist works primarily in bluegrass throughout his career, though he writes Glen Campbell's "Gentle On My Mind" 

1931 Skeeter Davis born in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. She earns her first hit in 1953 with Betty Jack Davis (they are unrelated), who dies in a car accident. Skeeter goes on to Grand Ole Opry membership and a solo career that peaks with 1962's "The End Of The World."  She died  in 2004. 

January 1, 2008


2007 Tim McGraw's "Last Dollar (Fly Away)" video debuts on CMT, the first video to air on the channel in the new year 

2005 Shania Twain's "What Made You Say That" takes the pole position as CMT debuts "20 Greatest First Videos" 

2004 Dr. Pepper begins airing a new series of ads, including one that teams Reba McEntire and LeAnn Rimes 

2000 Singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson moves to Nashville amid fears that a Y2K glitch will upend society, saying, "If the world is going to hell, I'm going to Nashville to sing about it." In 2005, Trace Adkins has a hit with his song "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" 

1994 Faith Hill makes her first stop at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart with "Wild One" 

1992 While riding in the Tournament of Roses Parade, the saddle strap breaks on Dwight Yoakam's horse, causing a fall. Someone from the crowd repairs the strap, and Yoakam is back in the saddle again 

1987 Clint Black writes "Nobody's Home" after waking up with the flu in a new house, following a breakup 

1959 Johnny Cash performs at San Quentin prison. Merle Haggard is in the audience 

1956 Sun Records releases Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" 

1953 Hank Williams is pronounced dead at Oak Hill General Hospital in Oak Hill, West Virginia, after passing away in the back seat of a Cadillac, en route to a show in Canton, Ohio. Many believe he died from a mix of alcohol and morphine 

January 2, 2009


2006 A shivering LeAnn Rimes performs "Something's Gotta Give" at the rain-soaked Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California 

2003 Mark and Kelly Wills have a daughter, Macey Marie Wills 

2001 George Strait receives his second gold album for a holiday release, "Merry Christmas Wherever You Are" 

1998 Shania Twain's crossover smash single "You're Still the One" released for sale 

1997 Faith Hill goes double-platinum for the second time, with the album "It Matters To Me" 

1986 Gary Morris debuts as blind singer Wayne Masterson on "The Colbys" 

1978 Keyboard player Chris Hartman born in Grand Prairie, Alberta. He becomes a member of the six-piece group Emerson Drive, which debuts in the U.S. in 2002. He leaves in March 2003, just two months before the group wins an Academy of Country Music award 

1976 "Austin City Limits" premieres on PBS. Its first featured guest: Willie Nelson 

1970 Marty Robbins recorded his No. 1 single, "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" 

1954 John Jarvis born in Pasadena, California. A session keyboard player who records with George Strait, Wynonna and Mary Chapin Carpenter, he also writes Vince Gill's "I Still Believe In You," Steve Wariner's "Small Town Girl" and Conway Twitty's "Julia" 

1936 Roger Miller born in Fort Worth, Texas. Raised in Erick, Oklahoma, Miller's quirky songwriting and sense of humor leads to such hits as "King Of The Road," "Chug-A-Lug" and "Dang Me," and launches him into the Country Music Hall of Fame 

1926 Session guitarist Harold Bradley born in Nashville. As a member of Nashville's fabled A-Team of studio musicians, Bradley plays on such classics as Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Johnny Horton's "Battle Of New Orleans" and Elvis Presley's "Little Sister" 

January 3, 2009



2006 It's a colorful day for Toby Keith: "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)" goes gold 

2006 Sugarland picks up the first platinum single of its career, for "Baby Girl" 

2001 Toby Keith sings the national anthem before the game and Lee Ann Womack performs "I Hope You Dance" during halftime at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Oklahoma beats Florida State, 13-2 

2001 Vince Gill leads country artists in Grammy nominations with four, while Faith Hill grabs three. "Breathe" and Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" are up for the overall song of the year, and Brad Paisley gains a best new artist nomination 

2000 The "LeAnn Rimes" album is certified platinum, becoming the first release to receive a sales award in the new millennium 

1999 Lee Ann Womack and record producer Frank Liddell have a daughter, Anna Lise, in Nashville 

1991 Billy Ray Cyrus signs his first recording contract with Mercury Records in Ashland, Kentucky. The mayors of Ashland and Flatwoods, Kentucky, each proclaim Billy Ray Cyrus Day 

1986 Willie Nelson and Alabama are out front in the American Music Awards, collecting four nominations each. Lee Greenwood and Hank Williams Jr. get tabbed three times each 

1982 Ricky Skaggs' album Highways and Heartaches went platinum 

1975 John Denver registers a gold single with "Back Home Again" 

1917 Leon McAuliffe born in Houston. McAuliffe plays steel guitar for Bob Wills' Texas Playboys from 1935-1942, then earns an instrumental hit on his own in 1949 with "Panhandle Rag." His Wills credits include "Right Or Wrong" and "Cherokee Maiden" 

January 18, 2009



2007 Dierks Bentley's "Long Trip Alone" has its world premiere on CMT 

2007 Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby tape a new edition of "CMT Crossroads" in Nashville. The set list includes "Mandolin Rain" and "Don't Get Above Your Raising." They're also joined by John Anderson for a surprise rendition of "Super Freak" 

2006 Keith Urban's "Be Here" album goes triple-platinum 

2001 Featured at inaugural celebrations for George W. Bush in Washington, D.C.: Lorrie Morgan, Sammy Kershaw, Lee Ann Womack and Brooks & Dunn, who sing "Only In America" 

1994 Atlantic releases John Michael Montgomery's single "I Swear," already in play at radio, for commercial sale 

1986 Dan Seals' nostalgic "Bop" goes to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart 

1980 Kenny Rogers wins two American Music Awards, including favorite country album, for "The Gambler." Other country winners include The Statler Brothers, Crystal Gayle and Barbara Mandrell, whose "Sleeping Single In A Double Bed" is favorite country single 

1978 Roy Orbison undergoes open heart surgery for three blocked arteries at Nashville's St. Thomas Hospital 

1956 Mark Collie born in Waynesboro, Tennessee. Making his living on country/rock, he actually scores his two Top 10 singles--"Even The Man In The Moon Is Crying" and "Born To Love You"--with breezy midtempo numbers. He becomes a spokesman for diabetes 

1941 Bobby Goldsboro born in Marianna, Florida. His sentimental "Honey" sells a fast one million copies in 1968.

February 17, 2009




2007 Porter Wagoner gives his first Los Angeles concert in nearly 40 years, opening for Neko Case at the Henry Fonda Theatre. He employs an all-star band: guitarist Marty Stuart, bass player Dwight Yoakam and drummer Billy Bob Thornton 

2002 "CMT Crossroads" features Hank Williams Jr. and rap-rocker Kid Rock performing in tandem 

2001 Brad Paisley is inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He wears the yellow jacket that Buck Owens wore the night he recorded his "Live At Carnegie Hall" album. Paisley sings "Two People Fell In Love," from his upcoming album 

2001 Jamie O'Neal peaks at #1 in Billboard with "There Is No Arizona" 

1996 Joe Diffie's "Bigger Than The Beatles" is big enough to hit #1 on the Billboard country singles list 

1995 Atlantic releases John Michael Montgomery's "I Can Love You Like That" 

1993 With his version of "Stand By Your Man" featured in "The Crying Game," Lyle Lovett sings the song with Tammy Wynette on "The Tonight Show" 

1976 Asylum releases The Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975." It contains one certified country hit, "Lyin' Eyes" 

1974 Bryan White born in Lawton, Oklahoma. The smooth-voiced singer wins the Country Music Association's Horizon Award in 1996, recognizing such early hits "Someone Else's Star," "Look At Me Now" and "I'm Not Supposed To Love You Anymore" 

1965 "Tennessee Waltz" is declared Tennessee's official state song in a resolution signed by Gov. Frank Clement