1909 -
Frank Delaney Kettering 1909~1973, of the "The Hoosier Hot Shots," was born in Monmouth, Illinois. 1924 - Esco Hankins 1924~1990, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and recording artist born in Union Country, Tennessee. Esco was often referred to as a Roy Acuff sound-alike.
1928 - Ernie Chaffin 1928~1997, Sun Records rockabilly artist, born in Water Valley, Mississippi.
1936 - Benny Barnes 1936~1987, Star Day recording artist, born in Beaumont, Texas.
1939 - Three members of Roy Acuff’s Smokey Mountain Boys, quit the band today. They were replaced, before the following weekend’s appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Jake Tindell, Lonnie Wilson, and Beecher "Pete" Kirby, who we now know as "Bashful Brother Oswald," were the new members.
1950 - Jim Wolverton 1895~1950, banjo player for the Leake County Revelers died on his 55th birthday. The Revelers were one of Mississippi's most popular string bands in the 1920's.
1951 - R.C. Coin BMG recording artist was born Richard Carey Coin in San Antonio, Texas.
1953 - Hank Williams 1923~1953, age 29, died today, or yesterday in the back seat of his baby blue 1952 Cadillac convertible. Hank was pronounced dead at Oak Hill General Hospital in Virginia, however, the exact location, or even the state in which he died is unknown. Hank was inducted into the CMHF in 1961, the NSHF in 1970, and the R&RHF. Hank Williams was laid to rest in the Oakwood Annex Cemetery, Montgomery, Alabama. A few years later Hank's children had Audrey's body exhumed, and reburied next to Hank.
1956 - Sun Records released Carl Perkins self-penned first chart record "Blue Suede Shoes." The single went to #1 and remained on the country charts for 24 weeks. This recording is now a Grammy Hall of Fame song. Johnny Cash told Carl backstage at a concert that Blue Suede Shoes would make a great title for a song. Carl went home and wrote the song before he went to bed.
1957 - Moon Mullican 1909~1967, died of a heart attack on New Years Day at the age of 57. He was known as the "King Of The Hillbilly Piano Players," and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1951. It was Hank Williams who first brought Moon to the Opry.
1959 - Elvis Presley wrecked his car on Germany’s infamous Autobahn. The soldier survived the crash but his BMW was not so fortunate.
1959 - Johnny Cash performed for the prisoners at San Quentin for the first time. One of the
prisoners in attendance was Merle Haggard. John would return to San Quentin in 1963 for another concert, and in 1969 to record his Columbia album "Johnny Cash at San Quentin," and tape a TV documentary.
1960 - Billy Walker became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He remained a member until the day he died in a traffic accident while returning to Nashville after a concert date in Alabama in 2006.
1961 - The Porter Wagoner TV Show aired their first broadcast.
1963 - The Johnny Cash Show returned to San Quentin for another show.
1964 - Hank Williams Jr., age 14, released his version of his father’s hit "Long Gone Lonesome Blues," on the 11th anniversary of his father’s death. (His mother’s idea and Audrey even scheduled a concert date for the same day at the venue where his father was traveling to when he died).
1964 - Future "Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame" member Tom T. Hall moved to Nashville with a guitar, forty-six dollars, and a dream.
1966 - Ralph Emery returned to WSM, after quitting the station two years earlier. Tex Ritter joined Ralph as co-host of the "Opry Star Spotlight," for the next sixteen months.
1967 - Moon Mullican 1909~1967, age 57, "The King Of The Hillbilly Piano Players" died today in Beaumont, Texas. Moon became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1951. It was Hank Williams who first brought this very talented man to the stage of the Opry.
1967 - Buck Owens was a featured guest at the Rose Bowl’s Parade of Roses.
1970 - Wanda Jackson made her debut appearance on Hee Haw.
1970 - Floyd "Salty" Holmes 1909~1970, of "The Prarie Ramblers" died at age 60.
1971 - Tom T. Hall joined the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. He would quit the Opry in 1974 when the move was made to the new Opry House at Opryland. Tom rejoined in the Opry in 1980 after Ernest Tubb told him he needed to come back where he belonged.
1971 - Dickie McBride 1914~1971, recording artist, guitarist, and Western Swing bandleader died at the age of 56.
1972 - Charlie Pride’s RCA Victor single "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin�?/I>" was the #1 country song in America. Hall of Fame songwriter Ben Peters wrote the song and it spent 5 weeks at the top of the charts. This was Charlie's 17th country hit on Billboards Country chart.
1974 - The Porter Wagoner TV Show aired their last program.
1992 - Dwight Yoakam fell off the horse he was riding in the Rose Bowl Parade, after the saddle strap broke. No injuries were reported, and horse and rider were continuing down a Pasadena street within minutes of the mishap.
1996 - William Lee Golden rejoined the Oak Ridge Boys. The group had fired Golden in 1987.
1997 - Townes Van Zandt 1944~1997, age 52, singer, songwriter, and guitarist died at his home in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, today of heart failure. Townes Van Zandt was laid to rest in Dido Cemetery, Dido, Texas.
2001 - John Jarrad 1953~2001, age 47, songwriter, died in a Nashville today as the result of respiratory failure. John had suffered for years from diabetes, and was blind, lost both kidneys and both legs to the disease prior to his death.
2003 - Alabama began their American Farewell Tour in Las Vegas.
2005 - Jo Dee Messina’s Curb single "My Give A Damn’s Busted" hit the Billboard Country chart. Joe Diffie, Tony Martin, and Tom Shapiro wrote the song, and it spent 2 weeks at #1, and a total of 25 weeks on the chart. This was Jo Dee's 18th chart single, and her 6th #1.
2007 - Del Reeves 1933~2007, age 73, died at home in Centerville, Tennessee. Del charted 55 country hits on Billboards Country chart, and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for 41 Years.
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