- Today in 1947, NBC introduces a children’s TV show titled “Puppet Playhouse.” The program evolves into “Howdy Doody,” name-checked in the lyrics of The Statler Brothers’ 1972 country hit “Do You Remember These”
- Today in 1948, Guitarist Larry Byrom is born in Huntsville, Alabama. A prolific session musician, he plays on Faith Hill’s “Breathe,” Tim McGraw’s “Angry All The Time,” Shania Twain’s “Any Man Of Mine” and George Strait’s “All My Ex’s Live In Texas,” among others
- Today in 1962, Ricochet’s Jeff Bryant is born in Pecos, Texas. The drummer contributes to several hits as the band wins the Academy of Country Music’s Top Vocal Group honor in 1996 and 1998, but he leaves in 1999, suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome
- Today in 1965, Porter Wagoner is separated from his wife, Ruth. They don’t get officially divorced for another 21 yearsToday in 1993, Billy Ray Cyrus married Leticia Finley at home in Williamson County, Tennessee. “One cannot stand at the crossroads forever,” said Cyrus, who dresses for the ceremony in blue jeans and a cut-up sweatshirt.
- Today in 1977, Dolly Parton earns her first gold album from the RIAA, for “Here You Come Again”
- Today in 1989, Elmo & Patsy earn a gold record from the RIAA for their Christmas novelty hit, “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer,” and a second gold record for the album of the same name
- Today in 1994, Ricky Van Shelton’s “Greatest Hits Plus” is certified platinum by the RIAA
- Today in 1995, George Strait’s dog, Buster, disappears from his Texas ranch. Strait takes out ads in local newspapers searching for the pooch, but he never comes back
- Today in 2010, LeAnn Rimes announces her engagement to Eddie Cibrian via Twitter
- Today in 2010, “Star Wars” actress Carrie Fisher dies in Los Angeles. For 11 months during the 1980s, she was married to singer/songwriter Paul Simon, whose songs “The Boxer” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” were both country hits, covered by Emmylou Harris and Buck Owens.
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This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1925, The Grand Ole Opry officially becomes a weekly program on Nashville’s WSM Radio one month after its inception, t
- Today in 1958, Johnny Cash, Tex Ritter and The Sons Of The Pioneers open at the Showboat Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Today in 1966, Capitol releases Buck Owens’ “Where Does The Good Times Go”
- Today in 1968, A man threatening to kill Waylon Jennings breaks into J.D.’s in Phoenix after hours and forces the Waylors to lie on the floor. The man is killed while running from police
- Today in 1970, “Rose Garden” brings Lynn Anderson her first #1 single on the Billboard country chart
- Today in 1975, Dolly Parton sings “Jolene” and Charlie Rich performs “All Over Me” during an NBC telecast of “The Midnight Special”
- Today in 1978, Willie Nelson receives a platinum album from the RIAA for “Stardust”
- Today in 1980, Jim McBride quits his job at the post office in Huntsville, Alabama, to become a Nashville songwriter. He amasses such credits as Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee,” Tammy Cochran’s “Angels In Waiting” and Waylon Jennings’ “Rose In Paradise”
- Today in 1991, RCA releases Alabama’s “Born Country”
- Today in 1993, Toby Keith sings “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” at halftime of Dallas’ NFL game against the Washington Redskins at Texas Stadium in Irving. The Cowboys romp, 38-3
- Today in 1996, Johnny Cash is hailed on CBS-TV’s “The Kennedy Center Honors.” Rosanne Cash sings “I Walk The Line” and delivers “I’ll Fly Away” with Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson and Lyle Lovett
- Today in 1998, Terri Clark goes to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart for the first time with “You’re Easy On The Eyes”
- Today in 2001, Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack shoot the music video to “Mendocino County Line” in Austin, Texas
- Today in 2003, Loretta Lynn is celebrated during CBS-TV’s “The Kennedy Center Honors.” Reba McEntire sings “You’re Lookin’ At Country”; Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood do “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man”; Lyle Lovett performs “Rated ‘X'”; and Patty Loveless covers “Coal Miner’s Daughter”
- Today in 2005, Hank Williams Jr.’s “Are you ready for some football?” is heard for the final time on ABC as the NFL prepares to move “Monday Night Football” to ESPN. The New England Patriots win the game, 31-21, over the New York Jets
- Today in 2006, Dolly Parton is celebrated in the CBS special “The Kennedy Center Honors.” Kenny Rogers and Carrie Underwood do “Islands In The Stream”; Alison Krauss, Suzanne Cox and Cheryl White cover “Jolene”; Shania Twain performs “Coat Of Many Colors”; and Vince Gill closes with “I Will Always Love You”
- Today in 2016, Taylor Swift gives a surprise performance for a 96-year-old fan at his home in Missouri. The World War II veteran and his family receive an intimate listen to Swift’s pop hit “Shake It Off”
- Today in 2018, Brooks & Dunn cover “Why Haven’t I Heard From You,” Kelly Clarkson performs “Fancy” and Lady Antebellum does “Is There Life Out There” and “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” as Reba McEntire is recognized in the CBS telecast of “The Kennedy Center Honors.” Little Big Town and Cyndi Lauper help pay tribute to Cher.
Jelly Roll To Play “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
Posted on by Bob Ballard
Jelly Roll has plans for New Year’s Eve. ABC and Dick Clark Productions have announced its New York lineup for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024,” 19-time host Seacrest and his 2024 co-host Rita Ora will lead festivities from New York’s Times Square, with an all-star lineup of artists: Jelly Roll, Megan Thee Stallion, Sabrina Carpenter and Tyla. The event will air on Sunday, December 31st live on ABC beginning at 8 pm EST.
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1948, Hank Williams recorded “Lovesick Blues” in Cincinnati.
- Today in 1960, guitarist Chuck Mead was born in Missouri. He came one of the two lead vocalists in BR549.
- Today in 1973, Merle Haggard’s song “If We Make It Through December” hit #1 on the Billboard country chart.
- Today in 1981, at a rock auction in London, a letter of introduction from Buddy Holly to Decca Records sold for $2,000. At the same event, John and Cynthia Lennon’s marriage certificate was sold for $850 and an autographed program from the world premiere of the Beatles film “Help!” brought in $2,100.
- Today in 1984, The Judd’s and “Why Not Me” were found at #1 on the Billboard country chart.
- Today in 1994, Martina and John McBride welcomed their daughter, Delaney.
- Today in 1995, Clint Black’s album, “One Emotion,” was certified platinum.
- Today in 2002, Nashville’s morning paper, “The Tennessean,” named Alan Jackson the Tennessean of the Year, in great part because of his accomplishments with the song “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning).” The funny thing is, Alan hails from Newnan, Georgia.
- Today in 2009, The Zac Brown Band’s “Highway 20 Ride” video premiered on CMT.com.
- Today in 2010, “Country Strong” debuted in Los Angeles and Nashville. Time McGraw portrayed the manager of a singer played by Gwyneth Paltrow.
- Today in 2013, Paris, Illinois observed Brett Eldredge Day and unveiled city-limit signs proclaiming the community the “Home of Nashville Recording Artist: Brett Eldredge.”
- Today in 2016, Lucy Hale posted her outrage on Twitter after topless photos were stolen from her phone and posted online.
- Today in 2017, Dustin Lynch made a surprise appearance as the opening act for Garth Brooks at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
- Today in 2017, Lady A’s Dave Haywood and his wife, Kelli, welcomed daughter Lillie Renee Haywood, in Nashville.
- Today in 2018, Brett Young’s “Ticket To L.A.” tops the Billboard country albums chart.
H & S FEED & COUNTRY STORE PET OF THE WEEK: “KODA”
Posted on by Bob Ballard
This week’s H&S Feed and Country Store Pet of the Week is “Koda”, a one-year old Retriever/Lab mix. Koda’s a friendly and energetic fellow who gets along great with grown-ups and kids, as well as other dogs and even cats! Koda knows some basic commands, is potty-trained and rides very well in a car. He’s sure to make some lucky family a great companion! He’s fully vetted, vaccinated and ready to find his new home!
If you’d like to set up an appointment to meet Koda or any of the pets at Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter, visit https://www.stephenmemorial.org/ and fill out an adoption application.
Check out our visit about Koda with Nicole & Vincent from Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter here:
JELLY ROLL SKIPS “THE VOICE” FINALE DUE TO ILLNESS
Posted on by Bob Ballard
It was announced weeks ago that Jelly Roll would be among the several big acts performing on the Season 24 finale of “The Voice.” But as fans of the show already know, JR was a no-show for Tuesday night’s finale.
Host Carson Daly revealed the news moments after the show started. He told the audience that Jelly Roll was scheduled to perform, but had to cancel. Daly then revealed that Jelly will appear on “The Voice” finale next spring. Jelly Roll also issued a statement on Facebook, confirming that he is sick.
“I was looking forward to performing tonight on the Voice, but I am extremely sick and unable to perform,” he wrote. “I’m sorry if I have disappointed anyone – if there was even a slight chance I could perform I would be on that stage tonight. ‘The Voice’ has been kind enough to have me back in May next year and I look forward to giving y’all the best performance of my life. Thank y’all for all of your love and support!”
Source: CountryNow
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1974, Waylon Jennings’ single, “Rainy Day Woman,” entered the country charts
- Today in 1979, Willie Nelson made his movie debut with the film, “The Electric Horseman,” which opened in theaters nationwide. His songs, “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” and “Midnight Rider” were included in the soundtrack.
- Today in 1983, the “20 Greatest Hits” album by Kenny Rogers was certified gold and platinum.
- Today in 1985, George Strait’s “The Chair” was sitting at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
- Today in 1988, K.T. Oslin’s album, “This Woman,” was certified gold.
- Today in 1996, Garth Brooks was #1 on the charts with the single, “That Ol’ Wind.”
- Today in 1999, the holiday album, “Garth Brooks & The Magic Of Christmas,” was certified gold and platinum.
- Today in 2001, Josh Turner made his Grand Ole Opry debut – he performed “Long Black Train.”
- Today in 2002, “Who’s Your Daddy?” had Toby Keith at #1 on the Billboard country chart.
- Today in 2007, “Oklahoma Today” magazine named Vince Gill the Oklahoman of the Year.
- Today in 2007, Reba McEntire and Carole King performed “Everyday People,” from the album “Reba Duets,” during the CBS-TV special “A Home For The Holidays.” Also appearing: Sheryl Crow, Fergie and James Blunt.
- Today in 2010, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine named “Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood” one of the five worst cookbooks of the year. The book gets knocked for being “loaded with fat and cholesterol” Oh well…
- Today in 2011, Martina McBride sings “O Holy Night” and “Blessed” while hosting the annual CBS special “A Home For The Holidays.” Guests include Justin Bieber, Gavin DeGraw, OneRepublic and Mary J. Blige.
- Today in 2012, Kelly Clarkson delivered a holiday concert and visited patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville. Among her performances: “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “White Christmas” and “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
- Today in 2013, two gay men were booted from Cactus Canyon in Victoria, Texas, for slow-dancing to Dustin Lynch’s “Cowboys And Angels.” Apparently, the couple had danced together to hip-hop, and that was okay – but was told the club has a policy against same-sex dancing to country.
- Today in 2013, Ray Price was celebrated during a memorial service at the First Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, Texas. “Blue” songwriter Bill Mack and radio host Eddie Stubbs address mourners, who heard versions of “In The Garden” and “Danny Boy.”
- Today in 2016, Dustin Lynch defeats Cassadee Pope in an episode of Spike TV’s “Lip Sync Battle,” using whipped cream in a sex simulation to Ludacris’ “What’s Your Fantasy.” Pope performed to Panic! At The Disco’s “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” with a surprise appearance by the band’s lead singer, Brendon Urie.
- Today in 2017, Midland performed for Robert Redford at the actor’s Sundance Ranch in Utah.
ZACH BRYAN EARNS HIS BACHELORS DEGREE WHILE ON TOUR
Posted on by Bob Ballard
A promise is a sacred thing. A promise to your mother…that’s the most important promise a person can make. Zach Bryan promised his mother years ago that he would get his college degree, but it wasn’t an easy promise to keep.
First, he entered the military at just 17 years old, so that put thoughts of further education on the back burner. Then, his music career blew up. It would have been easy to once again make getting a degree less of a priority, but again – a promise to mom had to be kept.
Yesterday on his socials, Zach revealed that he had fulfilled that promise. “Got my bachelors yesterday after exams in the desert and green rooms to about a hundred different venues. No arrogance attached, just a promise I made my mom a long while back. Bound to be a good week guys.” Apparently Zach had done online study while at the same time watching his music career take off. Congratulations to Zach!
Source: WhiskeyRiff
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1968, the album, “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” by Jeannie C. Riley was certified gold.
- Today in 1986, Randy Travis became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
- Today in 1989, Charlie Daniels’ single, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” was certified platinum. It was released in 1979.
- Today in 1989, the album, “Loving Proof,” by Ricky Van Shelton was certified platinum.
- Today in 1991, Tanya Tucker’s album, “What Do I Do With Me,” was certified gold.
- Today in 1991, Collin Raye’s “Love, Me” topped the country singles charts.
- Today in 1992, Alan Jackson was #1 on the charts with “She’s Got the Rhythm (I’ve Got the Blues),” which he co-wrote with Randy Travis.
- Today in 1996, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s album, “A Place In The World,” was certified gold.
- Today in 1997, Martina McBride was #1 on the singles charts with “A Broken Wing.”
- Today in 1999, Garth Brooks’ single, “Lost In You,” was certified gold.
- Today in 1999, country music legend Hank Snow died in Nashville at age 85.
- Today in 2000, the January issue of “Ladies Home Journal” magazine arrived on newsstands and featured Faith Hill as one of “The Most Fascinating Women To Watch of 2001.” She shared the distinction with famous faces like Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julia Roberts and Bette Midler.
- Today in 2000, “Entertainment Weekly” magazine’s year-end special issue dubbed Lee Ann Womack’s album, “I Hope You Dance,” as the #1 choice on their annual “Best Country Albums” list.
- Today in 2000, Shania Twain’s album, “Come On Over,” was voted one of music’s “new classics” by BarnesandNoble.com. She was in some pretty amazing company as her album was one of five and the only country offering. The other albums were U2’s “Joshua Tree,” “Ten Summoner’s Tales” by Sting, “Ray of Light” from Madonna and Andrea Bocelli’s “Romanza.”
- Today in 2000, Faith Hill was named “Billboard” magazine’s Top Country Female Artist, and her hit “Breathe” landed at the top of the 2000 “Billboard” Hot 100 chart. Ironically, the power ballad never made it to #1 on the chart, instead spending three weeks at #2, but sustained airplay helped it earn top honors in the year-end tally. She also turned up at #9 in the Top 40 and #4 in the Adult Contemporary categories.
- Today in 2000, Tim McGraw was named Top Country Male Artist of the Year by “Billboard” magazine, while Toby Keith topped the country singles category with “How Do You Like Me Now?!” Phil Vassar, who charted the #1 song, “Just Another Day in Paradise,” was named Top New Country Artist.
- Today in 2000, lots of gold and platinum certifications were announced by the RIAA. Faith Hill’s “Breathe” album was certified for sales of 5-million, Reba McEntire’s “So Good Together” project was certified platinum. Toby Keith also earned platinum certification for his “Greatest Hits, Volume 1” collection, while Tim McGraw’s “Greatest Hits” album was certified gold and platinum simultaneously. John Michael Montgomery’s “Brand New Me” went gold.
- Today in 2000, In their year-end wrap-up, the RIAA announced that Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks were tied for the honor of having the best-selling albums of the year for “Breathe” and “Fly” respectively.
- Today in 2000, folks in Brad Paisley’s hometown of Glendale, West Virginia, began welcoming visitors to the town with a brand new sign that read: “Glendale, West Virginia – Home of Brad Paisley, Member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
- Today in 2002, Faith Hill participated in the CBS special, “A Home for the Holidays.” The one-hour program was aimed at finding adoptive homes for children in foster care.
- Today in 2003, Gary Allan’s “Songs About Rain” video debuted on CMT.
- Today in 2005, Kristen Hall parted ways with Sugarland bandmates Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush.
- Today in 2009, Carrie Underwood got engaged to Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher at his home in Ontario. The happy couple is expecting their first child, a son, this spring.
- Today in 2012, Tate Stevens was pronounced the winner of FOX-TV’s “The X Factor.” He performed Chris Young’s “Tomorrow” and “Please Come Home For Christmas” in the finale.
- Today in 2014, Little Jimmy Dickens performed “Out Behind The Barn” in what turned out to be his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.
- Today in 2016, a four-acre plot formerly owned by Johnny Cash in Hendersonville, Tennessee, was sold at auction. The main house on the property had been destroyed by fire in 2007.
- Today in 2017, Michael Ray was arrested for driving under the influence and possession of an illegal substance, hash oil, after rear-ending another car at a McDonald’s drive-through in his hometown, Eustis, Florida. The charge was ultimately reduced to reckless driving.
- Today in 2019, Granger Smith and his wife, Amber Smith, announced the formation of the River Kelly Fund, a charitable operation named in honor of their son, who drowned in June.
- Today in 2019, Dierks Bentley’s single “Say You Do” went platinum. The same day, the RIAA awarded Jon Pardi with a double-platinum single for “Heartache On The Dance Floor.”
- Today in 2020, Miranda Lambert performed an acoustic version of “Bluebird” as CBS airs the adoption special “A Home For The Holidays.” The lineup also included Leslie Odom Jr., Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and Meghan Trainor.
- Today in 2020, CBS airs “Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event.” The set list included “Silent Night,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Frosty The Snow Man” and “Hard Candy Christmas.”
CARRIE UNDERWOOD HONORS BRENDA LEE WITH “ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE”
Posted on by Bob Ballard
It’s the holidays! So as part of Carrie Underwood‘s “REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency” shows, she’s been incorporating some holiday classics. One such song had a little extra significance.
Carrie performed the Brenda Lee classic “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” not only because it’s a beloved holiday tune, but because it’s the 65th anniversary of the song’s release. Carrie posted a video of the performance to her Facebook, captioning it “Congratulations Brenda Lee on the 65th anniversary of #RockinAroundTheChristmasTree! It was such a blast to perform your Christmas classic at my #REFLECTION show last night! #LasVegas.” See a Tik Tok clip of Carrie singing the song here.
Source: CountryNow
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