• Today in 1956, Carl Perkins got into a car accident, breaking his collarbone.
• Today in 1958, 8-year-old Hank Williams Jr. made his stage debut in Swainsboro, Georgia. His father, the late country singer Hank Williams, passed away New Year’s Day 1953.
• Today in 1971, at the Academy of Country & Western Music Awards, Merle Haggard won Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year, and his band Strangers won Top Touring Band.
• Today in 1977, John Denver’s TV special, “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy,” aired on ABC-TV.
• Today in 1979, Kenny Rogers performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City with Oak Ridge Boys and Dottie West as his opening acts.
• Today in 1984, Kathy Mattea released her self-titled debut album.
• Today in 1988, the album, “80’s Ladies,” by K.T. Oslin was certified gold.
• Today in 1988, Restless Heart’s album, “Wheels,” was certified gold.
• Today in 1991, Garth Brooks topped the “Radio & Records” chart for the second straight week with “Two Of A Kind, Workin On A Full House.”
• Today in 1995, the “Buenos Noches From A Lonely Room” album by Dwight Yoakam was certified platinum.
• Today in 1996, Clay Walker’s “Hypnotize The Moon” album was certified gold.
• Today in 1999, the album, “Come On Over,” by Shania Twain was certified for sales of 9-million.
• Today in 1999, Diamond Rio’s album, “Unbelievable,” was certified gold.
• Today in 1999, Sheryl Crow played the Grand Ole Opry to an audience that included Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Deana Carter, and the Dixie Chicks.
• Today in 2000, Reba McEntire’s “Video Bio” premiered on CMT.
• Today in 2001, after months of speculation, Shania Twain and her music producer/husband Robert John “Mutt” Lange confirmed that they were expecting their first child. The happy couple welcomed their son, Eja (pronounced “Asia”) Lange, on August 12^th. Here’s the best part – Shania and Mutt were able to keep the news private until August 20^th.
• Today in 2003, The Dixie Chicks hit the top of the Billboard country chart with “Travelin’ Soldier.”
• Today in 2007, Jason Aldean’s “Johnny Cash” video debuted on CMT.
• Today in 2013, the album, “Here’s To the Good Times,” by Florida Georgia Line went gold.
• Today in 2015, Dwight Yoakam served as the honorary starter for NASCAR’s Auto Club 400 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
• Today in 2015, Dierks Bentley, Amy Grant and several stars from “Nashville”—Connie Britton, Charles Esten and Lennon and Maisy Stella – played a benefit for the African Children’s Choir at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville.
• Today in 2017, Willie Nelson’s publicist told the Associated Press that a story claiming that he was “deathly ill” was without merit, pointing out that he was well enough just days after the initial report to perform at RodeoHouston.

• Today in 1955, Johnny Cash auditioned for Sam Philips at Sun Records in Memphis. Philips liked “Hey, Porter,” and asked Cash to come back and record the next day, despite passing on most of his other songs.
• Today in 1981, Willie Nelson got a #1 single with “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground.”
• Today in 1987, Restless Heart hit the top of the charts with “I’ll Still Be Loving You.”
• Today in 1988, at the Academy of Country Music awards, Randy Travis won Top Male Vocalist and his song “Forever And Ever, Amen,” won Single Record and Song of the Year.
• Today in 1994, the “8 seconds” soundtrack went gold. Artists who contributed included John Anderson, Pam Tillis, Billy Dean, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, McBride & The Ride, Karla Bonoff, David Lee Murphy, Mark Chesnutt, Patty Smyth, and Bill Conti.
• Today in 1998, Clint Black and Steve Wariners “Nothin’ But The Taillights” hit the top of the Billboard country chart.
• Today in 1999, Garth Brooks experienced the beginning of spring training, getting a single up the middle of pitcher Mike Sirotka during a San Diego Padres game, as they lost to the Chicago White Sox.
• Today in 2000, Nickel Creek released a self-titled debut album.
• Today in 2004, Rascal Flatts singer Gary LeVox and his wife Tara gave birth to their second daughter, Brooklyn Leigh Vernon.
• Today in 2014, in an episode of “CMT Crossroads,” Dierks Bentley and OneRepublic sang “Apologize,” “Up On The Ridge,” “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” and “I Hold On.”
• Today in 2015, Jason Aldean married Brittany Kerr in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. “Duck Dynasty” star Willie Robertson conducted the ceremony, and Tyler Farr was one of the groomsmen. Aldean and Kerr’s first dance? Lionel Richie’s “Stuck On You.”
• Today in 2017, Little Big Town performed in Australia for the first time, appearing at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney with opening act Kip Moore.
• Today in 2018, Keith Urban’s “Coming Home” hit the airwaves.

Today in 1984, The Judds made their first large-venue appearance opening for the Statler Brothers at an arena in Omaha.
Today in 1993, George Strait’s “Heartland” topped the Billboard charts at #1.
Today in 1998, Steve Wariner gave his first public performance during the Grand Ole Opry of “Holes In The Floor Of Heaven.”
Today in 2002, Alison Krauss + Union Station picked up a gold album for “New Favorite.”
Today in 2004, Tim McGraw rose to #1 in Billboard with “Watch The Wind Blow By.”
Today in 2004, Gretchen Wilson’s video for “Redneck Woman” debuted on CMT’s “Most Wanted Live.” The clip included Hank Williams Jr. and Kid Rock.
Today in 2011, “Do not challenge the intelligence of my audience,” said John Rich, taking offense after Jose Canseco and Richard Hatch put down his theme song for Camping World on NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice.” The men’s team won the episode.
Today in 2013, Lady Antebellum nabbed a quadruple-platinum album from the Recording Industry Association of America for “Need You Now.”
Today in 2014, Canaan Smith announced his engagement to Christy Hardesty. The lovebirds married the following August and in October 2019? Th they welcomed daughter Virginia Rose Smith.
Today in 2016, Trisha Yearwood portrayed Mary, the mother of Jesus, as FOX aired a live two-hour TV special, “The Passion.”
Today in 2018, Sturgill Simpson was honored by the state legislature in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Today in 2018, Chris Janson joined the Grand Ole Opry…inducted by Garth Brooks.
Today in 2019, Lefty Frizzell’s “The Long Black Veil” was entered into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. The 2019 class also included music by Cyndi Lauper, Sam & Dave, Neil Diamond and Ritchie Valens.
Today in 2019, Randy Owen received the Heart Of An Eagle Award from the Boy Scouts of America during a luncheon in Anniston, Alabama.

• Today in 1956, Elvis Presley got a number one Billboard country single with “Heartbreak Hotel.”
• Today in 1969, Glen Campbell released both the album and the single “Galveston.”
• Today in 1972, both hippies and traditional country fans flocked to an outdoor festival in Dripping Springs, Texas that featured Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Roy Acuff, Buck Owens, Kris Kristofferson, Tex Ritter, and Tom T. Hall.
• Today in 1972, a 13-year-old Tanya Tucker entered a studio to record her first hit, “Delta Dawn.”
• Today in 1986, the “Lost In The Fifties” album by Ronnie Milsap was released.
• Today in 1989, Keith Whitley hit number one on the “Radio & Records” country chart with “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.”
• Today in 1990, “Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart” by Randy Travis hit the top of the Billboard country chart, where it would stay for four weeks.
• Today in 1992, Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire were among the winners at the 18th Annual People’s Choice Awards, taking home trophies in the Favorite Male and Female Country Music Performer categories. They also trumped their pop counterparts in capturing the awards for overall Favorite Male and Female Musical Performer.
• Today in 1995, Suzy Bogguss and her husband, Doug Crider, became parents to son Ben.
• Today in 1995, Clay Walker topped the country charts with “This Woman and This Man.”
• Today in 1997, filming began on the first motion picture ever shot inside of Elvis Presley’s Graceland. “Finding Graceland” starred Harvey Keitel as a man claiming to be Elvis and Bridget Fonda as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator.
• Today in 1998, Jo Dee Messina released her second album, “I’m Alright.”
• Today in 1998, Doubleday announced it was canceling LeAnn Rimes’ two-book deal, which was reportedly worth two-million-dollars. They made the decision after LeAnn’s book “Holiday In Your Heart” failed to sell as well as expected.
• Today in 1998, Shania Twain announced plans for her first world tour.
• Today in 2000, Shania Twain’s “Come On Over” was certified for sales of 17-million in the U.S., making it the best-selling solo album by a female artist.
• Today in 2001, quarterback Peyton Manning married Ashley Thompson, and Kenny Chesney sang “Me And You” at the wedding.
• Today in 2002, Vince Gill was elected president of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. He succeeded Marty Stuart, who enjoyed six consecutive terms as president.
• Today in 2003, Dixie Chick Natalie Maines apologized to President George Bush for comments she made a week earlier in London, including saying she was ashamed she and Bush shared Texas as a home state.
• Today in 2004, Kenny Chesney performed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, setting a new attendance record with 70-thousand-668 tickets sold for the show.
• Today in 2004, Brett Warren and his wife, Raquel, welcomed Angeli Nicole Warren to their family.
• Today in 2005, Keith Urban began a three-night performance at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. During his encore, Kenny Chesney joined him onstage to sing Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried.”
• Today in 2006, Kenny Chesney climbed to number one on the “Radio & Records” country chart with “Living in Fast Forward.”
• Today in 2007, Loretta Lynn received an honorary doctorate from Boston’s Berklee College of Music in recognition of her contributions to contemporary music and for using her songs to tackle real-life situations faced by many women. The presentation was made on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, where Lynn performed that evening.
• Today in 2007, an installment of “CMT Cross Country” featuring Big & Rich and John Anderson included the songs “Swingin’,” “8^th Of November,” “Seminole Wind,” and “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy.)”
• Today in 2008, two former Dallas policemen accused of assaulting Steve Holy and Holy’s friend the previous December were indicted on felony charges. Both were facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, while one of the ex-officers was also charged with kidnapping.
• Today in 2008, Steve Azar took part in Gino Torretta’s Celebrity Golf and Gourmet Weekend, golfing for charity at the Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation, Florida.
• Today in 2009, Willie Nelson cancelled his show in Clearwater, Florida, along with his next five consecutive nights of concerts, reportedly due to “illness.” Shows in Melbourne and Panama City, Florida; Choctaw, Mississippi; Marksville, Louisiana; and Springdale, Arkansas were affected.
• Today in 2009, Jewel took the “Dancing With the Stars” stage — to sing. Leg injuries forced her to drop out of the competition before the show launched, but she was regularly on hand to support husband Ty Murray — who was still a contender — and on this night she also promoted her then-upcoming CD “Lullaby” with a performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
• Today in 2009, Randy Travis was the guest mentor for “American Idol” finalists for the show’s “Grand Ole Opry Week.” In addition, his CD “I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis” arrived in stores, while Brad Paisley’s single “Then,” Rascal Flatts’ song “Forever,” and Alabama’s Jeff Cook’s solo CD “Ashes Won’t Burn” were released digitally.
• Today in 2010, Taylor Swift was honored for a number of her career accomplishments at an event in Nashville. Her list of achievements included record sales of more than 13-million units and 25-million digital downloads. In addition, her CD “Fearless” was the best-selling album in the U.S. in both 2008 and 2009, and is the only disc ever to be named Album of the Year by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, and capture the same honors at the GRAMMY Awards and the American Music Awards.
• Today in 2010, Larry Gatlin became a member of Fox Business Network’s “America’s Nightly Scoreboard” panel as a celebrity political analyst.
• Today in 2011, Country Music Hall of Famer Ferlin Husky died at his daughter’s home in Westmoreland, Tennessee. He had been suffering from congestive heart failure. Husky was 85.
• Today in 2011, Kenny Chesney launched his “Goin’ Coastal” tour in West Palm Beach, Florida, marking his official return to the concert circuit after taking a year off touring.
• Today in 2011, the Zac Brown Band made their RodeoHouston debut.
• Today in 2012, during Miranda Lambert’s “On Fire Tour,” she brought out Kelly Clarkson as a surprise to sing her own hit “Stronger.”
• Today in 2013, George Strait’s appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which was part of his “Cowboy Rides Away” final tour, drew a record crowd of 80-thousand-28 people.
• Today in 2013, Trace Adkins impressed fellow contestants on NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice” with his acting ability, sweeping Susan Lucci off her feet in a soap-opera skit to promote Crystal Light. His team wins Donald Trump’s assignment in the episode, with Stephen Baldwin serving as project manager.
• Today in 2014, Frankie Ballard topped the charts for the first time with his single “Helluva Life.”
• Today in 2014, Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again” hit the airwaves.
• Today in 2014, the Band Perry performed their first USO concert for American troops at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the United Kingdom.
• Today in 2017, Ty Herndon received the Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award during the HRC Nashville Equality Dinner at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
• Today in 2017, Jeff Bates spoke to inmates at the Henderson County Detention Center in Henderson, Kentucky, recounting his own incarceration for theft to feed addictions to methadone and alcohol. Bates hoped to inspire the convicts to retool their lives once they’re released.
• Today in 2017, Garth Brooks surprised attendees at South By Southwest with an unannounced show at Austin’s Broken Spoke. The 45-minute set includes covers of “The Fightin’ Side Of Me,” “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
• Today in 2017, Loretta Lynn and B.B. King were honored with Governor’s Arts Awards at the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion in Nashville.