COUNTRY HISTORY

Today in 2000, Lee Ann Womack made her debut appearance on NBC-TV's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” She didn't take the "Leno" stage alone, though -- when she got the request to perform her…

This day in 1980, The John Travolta movie “Urban Cowboy” premiered. Urban Cowboy is a romantic drama film directed by James Bridges. The plot concerns the love-hate relationship between Buford "Bud" Davis (John Travolta) and Sissy…

Today in 1982, Alabama held their first ever June Jam in their hometown of Fort Payne, Alabama. More than 30,000 attended the charity concert near the high school, where the hometown band shares the stage…

This day in 1989, Reba McEntire married her road manager, Narvel Blackstock, in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He had previously been her steel guitar player. Reba joked that after she’d promoted him to road manager, she…

This day in 1991, Tracy Lawrence left a Nashville studio in the early morning hours to celebrate finishing recording his first album, “Sticks and Stones.” A few hours later, he and a female friend were robbed…

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…