COUNTRY HISTORY

This day in 2009: Steve Martin made his Grand Ole Opry debut, playing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" in Nashville with Vince Gill, Randy Scruggs, John McEuen and Stuart Duncan among his backing musicians.  

This day in 1952, Hank Williams Sr. his first wife, Audrey, (the mother of Hank Williams Jr.) finally divorced. Married since 1944, their union was marked by his drug and alcohol addiction and infidelity. The…

This day in 1967, Barbara Mandrell married Ken Dudney. Barbara met Ken when he was hired by her family's band, The Mandrells, as a drummer. They were married shortly after Ken received his wings as…

This day in 2004, Toby Keith’s first annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic took place at Belmar Golf Course in Norman, Oklahoma. The tournament benefit Ally’s House Charity, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is…

In 2006 - Personal File was released, the 92nd album by the late American music icon Johnny Cash. The two CD set contained 49 unreleased tracks recorded between 1973 and 1982, which had been recovered from…

In 2011 - Reba McEntire was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame at a Medallion Ceremony that took place at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. She was inducted by one of her musical…

In 1977 - Taken from his album Ol' Waylon, Waylon Jennings started a six week run at #1 on the US Country charts with "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)."

In 1974, Freddy Fender was at #1 on the Country music album chart with his first album Before The Next Teardrop Falls. The album includes the #1 hits "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and…

Today in 1980, the single, "Bar Room Buddies," Merle Haggard and actor/director Clint Eastwood debuted on the charts. The song would become Clint’s first and only #1 and Merle’s 25th of 38 number ones. It…

This day in 1986, Johnny Paycheck was found guilty of shooting and wounding a man after an argument in an Ohio bar. Paycheck walked into the North High Lounge in Hillsboro, Ohio. The bar was…