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This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1968, George Jones and Tammy Wynette announced they were married, even though they didn’t actually tie the knot until the following February.
  • Today in 1980, Waylon Jennings’ “Music Man” album was certified gold.
  • Today in 1983, Crystal Gayle and husband Bill Gatzimos, welcomed their first child, Catherine, into the world.
  • Today in 1987, Roy Clark became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
  • Today in 1987, Restless Heart appears was at #1 in Billboard with “Why Does It Have To Be (Wrong Or Right).”
  • Today in 1989, Reba McEntire’s “Sweet Sixteen” album was certified gold.
  • Today in 1990, Willie Nelson’s “Willie & Family Live” album was certified double platinum.
  • Today in 1994, the Mavericks’ “What A Crying Shame” album was certified gold.
  • Today in 1996, “Mooney” Lynn, the husband of Opry legend Loretta Lynn, passed away.
  • Today in 1997, Mark Wills sang his hit single, “Jacob’s Ladder,” for his Grand Ole Opry debut. He was so excited about the big night that he even had new soles and heels put on his boots.
  • Today in 1998, after performing his first concert in South America, in front of a sold-out crowd of 50,000 during the Rodeo Barretos in Brazil, Garth Brooks pledged to return.
  • Today in 1998, “I’m Alright,” which was written by Phil Vassar, took Jo Dee Messina to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
  • Today in 2000, Neal McCoy’s album, “24-7-365,” and Bill Engvall’s “Now That’s Awesome” CD arrived in stores.
  • Today in 2001, Travis Tritt was honored with the 2001 VFW Hall of Fame Award.
  • Today in 2001, Reba McEntire was in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame to give folks the first look at her WB sitcom, “Reba.” She was also given a plaque from the Country Music Hall of Fame in appreciation of her contributions to the entertainment industry.
  • Today in 2001, Alan Jackson’s “When Somebody Loves You” album was certified platinum.
  • Today in 2011, Jason Aldean’s “Tattoos on this Town” hit the airwaves.
  • Today in 2013, Easton Corbin’s single “All Over The Road” is certified gold.
  • Today in 2015, Craig Campbell surprised a military family during a concert in Milwaukee, bringing a woman and her two kids on stage as her husband–a major who’s been stationed overseas for 362 days – emerges from backstage for an emotional reunion.
  • Today in 2016, Morgan Wallen’s debut single, “The Way I Talk,” was released.
  • Today in 2016, Dan + Shay’s single, “From The Ground Up,” was certified gold. On the same day, Cole Swindell’s single, “You Should Be Here,” went platinum.
  • Today in 2016, “Kill A Word,” by Eric Church (and featuring Rhiannon Giddens) was released.
  • Today in 2016, Cole Swindell’s “You Should Be Here” was certified platinum by the RIAA.
  • Today in 2018, Luke Combs scored certifications from the RIAA for four singles: “Hurricane” went triple-platinum, “When It Rains It Pours” was double-platinum, “One Number Away” hit the platinum mark and “Beautiful Crazy” was certified gold.
  • Today in 2018, Old Dominion celebrated platinum singles from the RIAA for “No Such Thing As A Broken Heart,” “Written In The Sand” and “Song For Another Time.”
  • Today in 2020, Luke Bryan’s “Born Here Live Here Die Here” debuted at the top of the Billboard country albums chart.

Hank Williams Jr. Sidelined By Health Issues, Postpones Oklahoma Concerts

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Hank Williams Jr. has left Oklahoma fans disappointed, though he’s planning on making it up to them. The legend posted on Instagram he had to postpone his shows Friday and Saturday as he’s feeling under the weather. His shows in Tulsa and Thackerville would be postponed, with Hank rescheduling them for September 19th and 20th. “We regret any inconvenience this may cause and truly appreciate your understanding and support,” the post read. “We can’t wait to be back on stage with you soon.”

This Day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1965, Waylon Jennings made his chart debut with “That’s The Chance I’ll Have To Take.”
  • Today in 1976, RCA Victor announced that sales of Elvis Presley records had passed the 400-million mark. No other entertainer – living or dead – has equaled that milestone.
  • Today in 1979, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” single by the Charlie Daniels Band was certified gold.
  • Today in 1981, Willie Nelson’s “Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be)” album was released.
  • Today in 1984, Hank Williams Jr’s “Greatest Hits” album was certified gold and platinum.
  • Today in 1990, Kathy Mattea’s “A Collection Of Hits” and the Judds’ “Collector’s Series” album arrived in stores.
  • Today in 1992, Tracy Lawrence’s single, “Runnin’ Behind,” topped the charts.
  • Today in 1999, Alan Jackson headlined Brazil’s largest rodeo, the Barreto Rodeo. The 10-day event drew almost 2-million people, with Alan playing before a crowd of 50,000.
  • Today in 1999, Sara Evans and hubby Craig Schelske welcomed their first child, a son named Avery Jack Lyons Schelske. Born at a Nashville hospital, the bundle of joy weighed in at 7-pounds 8 ¾-ounces.
  • Today in 2001, Shania Twain and then-hubby Robert John “Mutt” Lange revealed that they’d become proud parents to a baby boy they named Eja (sounds like Asia) on August 12th.
  • Today in 2001, Mark Will’s “Loving Every Minute” album was released.
  • Today in 2001, Billy Gilman and Amy Grant performed at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new addition to the Target House in Memphis. The renowned facility is considered a “home away from home” for patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and their families.
  • Today in 2003, Johnny Cash held his final session, recording “Engine One-Forty-Three” at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
  • Today in 2006, Rosanne Cash and Steve Earle taped a new episode of “CMT Crossroads” at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. The set list included “Seven Year Ache,” “Guitar Town,” “Devil’s Right Hand” and the Johnny Cash song “Big River.”
  • Today in 2010, Brad Paisley headlined a stadium for the first time, playing for 51,000 fans at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, with Jason Aldean, Sara Evans, Darius Rucker and Easton Corbin.
  • Today in 2015, Luke Bryan met over 200 kids at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he performs “Play It Again.”
  • Today in 2017, Tim McGraw’s single, “Humble And Kind,” went double-platinum. The same day, Florida Georgia Line earned gold singles from the RIAA for the album tracks “Tell Me How You Like It” and “Here’s To The Good Times.”
  • Today in 2018, “The Champion,” a Carrie Underwood single featuring Ludacris, is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
  • Today in 2018, Dustin Lynch was invited by Trace Adkins to become a Grand Ole Opry member.
  • Today in 2018, Brenda Lee, Ray Stevens, Jeannie Seely and Ben Folds are inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame.
  • Today in 2019, a new Jeep commercial featuring Old Dominion debuts as the band uses an episode of the NBC series “Songland” to select the song. Judges on the show include professional songwriters Ester Dean, Ryan Tedder and Shane McAnally, who produces Old Dominion
  • Today in 2019, Johnny Lee underwent his second brain surgery in Houston in an attempt to improve his mobility as he combats Parkinson’s disease.

Jelly Roll Latest Star Used By Scammers In AI Video

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Jelly Roll is the latest celebrity being used to scam unwitting victims, but this latest scam comes with an advanced twist. An Ohio man received a video of what appeared to be Jelly Roll, informing him he’d just won a $50-thousand car. Not bad, right? Oh, but Jelly informed the man he would have to pay for shipping. We googled it; shipping can start at $500, with the high end being considerably more expensive. But in a second video, “Jelly Roll” used the victims correct name, which convinced him it was legit, and he sent a $70 gift card as requested. When the scammers wanted more, the man’s family thankfully stepped in. While a video scam is next level, there were still some obvious red flags the man should have noticed. In the video, “Jelly” showed his “drivers license,” which had his name as “Jolly Roll,” which is wrong, of course, and nowhere was his legal name, Jason DeFord, found. The old rule still applies: if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1986, the album, “My Home’s In Alabama,” by Alabama was certified double platinum.
  • Today in 1993, Little Texas topped the country charts with “What Might Have Been.”
  • Today in 1996, Billy Ray Cyrus released “Trail of Tears” and the Beach Boys released “Stars and Stripes Volume 1,” which featured the group collaborating with stars like Lorrie Morgan, Sawyer Brown, Toby Keith and Collin Raye.
  • Today in 1997, Alabama Governor Fob James joined the mayors of Montgomery and Georgina, Alabama in the Alabama State Capitol to dedicate a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 65 to the memory of country great Hank Williams. The section of roadway was renamed the “Hank Williams Memorial Lost Highway.”
  • Today in 2000, “InStyle” magazine released their annual “What’s Sexy Now” issue, which featured hundreds of their readers voting on the “lust factor” of various people, places and things. In the category of Sexiest Female Musician, the winner by a landslide was Shania Twain, with 52% of the vote.
  • Today in 2000, Kenny Chesney’s third album, “I Will Stand,” which includes hits like “That’s Why I’m Here” and “She’s Got It All,” was certified platinum.
  • Today in 2000, Shania Twain’s album, “Come On Over,” broke the record for being the #1 album on the “Billboard” Country Albums chart. On the top for 44-weeks, the album officially held the spot longer than any other album in history. The previous record holder was Randy Travis’ “Always and Forever,” which spent 43-weeks in the top spot. Plus, she also became the only country artist ever to have eight top 20 country hits from the same album: “Come On Over.”
  • Today in 2002, Diamond Rio’s “Completely” and Lee Ann Womack’s “Something Worth Leaving Behind” albums arrived in stores.
  • Today in 2010, Lady Antebellum earned a gold certification (marking sales of 500k) for their single, “American Honey” and a quadruple-platinum cert (marking sales of 4-million) for their single, “Need You Now.”
  • Today in 2015, Carrie Underwood’s “Smoke Break” hit the airwaves.

“Band Together Texas” Brings In Big Dollars For Texas Flood Relief

Posted on by Bob Ballard

The Texas flood benefit put together by Parker McCollum and Miranda Lambert brought in a huge bag for relief efforts. “Band Together Texas” raised over $8.5-million, with more coming in, for The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country and Central Texas Community Foundation. The evening featured performances by Lambert and McCollum, along with Ryan Bingham, Wade Bowen, Ronnie Dunn, Dylan Gossett, Jack Ingram, Cody Johnson, Lyle Lovett, Lukas Nelson, Jon Randall, the Randy Rogers Band and more. One surprise guest: Jason Aldean, who had played Austin the night before but stayed to lend a hand for the benefit. The floods in Texas last month resulted in a loss of 138 confirmed deaths, with monetary losses in the billions of dollars.

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1972, Elvis Presley’s “Burnin’ Love” debuted on the charts. It was “the King’s” final top 10 hit, and his final gold single. In 1992, Travis Tritt recorded “Burnin’ Love” for the “Honeymoon In Vegas” film soundtrack.
  • Today in 1978, Crystal Gayle topped the charts with the single, “Talking in Your Sleep.”
  • Today in 1986, John Schneider’s single, “You’re the Last Thing I Needed Tonight,” topped the country charts.
  • Today in 1994, the Tractors debuted on the country charts with “Baby Likes to Rock It.”
  • Today in 1997, Lonestar’s Dean Sams and his wife, Kim, welcomed their first child, daughter Britney Deann.
  • Today in 1998, Vince Gill’s album, “The Key,” debuted at the top of the country album chart.
  • Today in 1999, Dwight Yoakam earns a double-platinum album, with “Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.”
  • Today in 2003, two members of Kenny Chesney’s video crew and a helicopter pilot escaped serious injury when the helicopter crashed while shooting footage for the video to “There Goes My Life.”
  • Today in 2003, Dierks Bentley’s self-titled debut album was released.
  • Today in 2014, Sam Hunt made his Grand Ole Opry debut with a performance of “Leave The Night On” and “Take Your Time.”
  • Today in 2015, the Salt Life beach apparel company announced a partnership with Jake Owen that includes the introduction of the singer’s own fashion line – the proceeds of which benefit his charity, which is focused on helping sick and needy children.
  • Today in 2016, the Dolly Parton album, “Pure & Simple,” was released. The same day, Drake White’s second album, “Spark,” also hit shelves and streaming platforms.
  • Today in 2018, three days after Aretha Franklin’s death, Eric Church pays respect by covering “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” to launch his concert in Calgary, Alberta.
  • Today in 2019, Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and wife Hayley welcome their son, Luca Reed Hubbard, in Nashville.
  • Today in 2019, Chris Lane and his then-fiancée, Lauren Bushnell, announced that they’d purchased a house and adopted a puppy. The lovebirds got married the following October. They’ve since welcomed a son – and they’re expecting their second child in late October 2022.
  • Today in 2020, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge reopened in Nashville as a full-service restaurant, a move that made it easier to operate under city guidelines that limit barroom activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The iconic venue was, in another era, a regular hangout for Willie Nelson, Roger Miller and Marty Robbins
  • Today in 2021, Keith Urban’s “Wild Hearts” single hit the airwaves. On the same day, Kane Brown’s “One Mississippi” was released.

John Rich’s ATV Was Stolen, And He’s Enlisting Fans To Help Him Get It Back

Posted on by Bob Ballard

John Rich fans, unite! The singer needs your help to recover an ATV that was stolen off his property last week. In a post on X, he rallied his followers to keep an eye out for the vehicle. Alongside a photo of the ATV, he wrote “I WAS ROBBED! Someone stole my ATV…It’s a Polaris Sportsmen 850. Pay close attention to the tires…Very unique. If you find this for sale anywhere online, take a screen shot and post it in the comments! If you help me find it, I’ll send you [an] autographed guitar:)” Internet sleuths, mount up! 

 

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1981, the “Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ album by Willie Nelson was certified platinum.
  • Today in 1971, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver was certified gold.
  • Today in 1979, Mel Tillis was #1 on the country singles charts with “Coca Cola Cowboy.”
  • Today in 1979, Carlene Carter of the Nashville Carter family and Johnny Cash’s stepdaughter married rocker Nick Lowe. They have since divorced.
  • Today in 1992, Travis Tritt’s “T-r-o-u-b-l-e” album was released.
  • Today in 1992, “This Is Garth Brooks” video was certified gold, platinum and quadruple platinum simultaneously.
  • Today in 1994, “The Real Patsy Cline” video was certified platinum.
  • Today in 1995, Jeff Carson hit the top of the singles charts with “Not On Your Love.”
  • Today in 1997, Joe Diffie joined Tower Records and America Online for the first “virtual in-store.” Joe chatted and held a “virtual autograph session” during which fans received a virtual autograph via Joe’s electronic writing pad.
  • Today in 2001, the “Girls’ Night Out” tour, featuring Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Jamie O’Neal and Carolyn Dawn Johnson, wrapped up in Louisville, Kentucky
  • Today in 2003, Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar” was released.
  • Today in 2004, Big & Rich’s debut album, “Horse Of A Different Color,” was certified platinum.
  • Today in 2006, Kenny Chesney performed at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Randy Owen, lead singer of the band Alabama, attended the show–the first time he’s ever seen a concert as a ticket-holder.
  • Today in 2012, Highway 101 drummer (and husband to Wynonna) Cactus Moser was injured when his motorcycle collided with an oncoming car near Hill City, South Dakota. His left leg was amputated as a result of the collision – Wy immediately cancelled her tour to be with him.
  • Today in 2014, Blake Shelton’s single, “Neon Light,” hit the airwaves.
  • Today in 2015, Robert Duvall and Billy Bob Thornton made their Grand Ole Opry debuts. Thornton’s comes as a member of The Boxmasters.
  • Today in 2015, Kellie Pickler played a free concert for troops at Fort Riley near Manhattan, Kansas, presented by the USO. Her set included “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You” and “Red High Heels.”
  • Today in 2017, Hal Ketchum made his final Grand Ole Opry appearance before retiring from performing. His wife subsequently revealed he was battling dementia. He lost that valiant fight in November 2020.
  • Today in 2018, Maren Morris performed “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” as a memorial to the recently departed Aretha Franklin during a show in Las Vegas.
  • Today in 2020, On the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, which gave American women the right to vote, Lindsay Ell sings the national anthems for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles. The Jays win, 8-7, in 10 innings in an empty stadium in the midst of a pandemic.
  • Today in 2021, Sam Hunt plead guilty in Nashville to two counts of drunk driving in 2019. He was sentenced to 48 hours in a DUI educational center and had his license suspended for the next year.

More “ACM Honors” Performers Announced

Posted on by Bob Ballard

More performers have been announced for next week’s ACM Honors. New to the event are Chris Janson, Jamey Johnson, Miko Marks and Victoria Shaw. They join previously announced artists Luke Bryan, Russell Dickerson, Karen Fairchild, Carter Faith, Ashley Gorley, Amy Grant, Ashley McBryde, K. Michelle, Carly Pearce and Tucker Wetmore. The 18th ACM Honors will be hosted by Carly Pearce and Russell Dickerson, and will take place on Wednesday, August 20th, at The Pinnacle in Nashville.

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