- Today in 1914, Lester Flatt was born in Duncan’s Chapel, Tennessee. Along with partner Earl Scruggs, he rose out of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys to become a leading figure in the development of bluegrass, joining the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985.
- Today in 1956, Doug Brooks was born in Atlanta, Georgia. After changing his name to Doug Stone–to avoid confusion with Garth Brooks–he reeled off more than a dozen consecutive hits in the 1990s, including “I’d Be Better Off (In A Pine Box)” and “Warning Labels”
- Today in 1960, Grand Ole Opry member Loretta Lynn made her debut on the country charts with her first single release, “Honky Tonk Girl,” on the Zero label.
- Today in 1976, Country Music Hall of Fame member Eddy Arnold entered the charts for the 100th time with “Cowboy.” He was the first artist to accumulate a three-digit list of charted titles.
- Today in 1982, Conway Twitty scored a chart topper with the Pointer Sisters’ pop hit, “Slow Hand.”
- Today in 1986, Ricky Van Shelton showcases for CBS executives Rick Blackburn and Steve Buckingham at The Stockyard, singing Ernest Tubb’s “Thanks A Lot” and Merle Haggard’s “Hungry Eyes.”
- Today in 1992, Diamond Rio hit #1 with the single, “Norma Jean Riley.”
- Today in 1993, Patty Loveless tops the Billboard country chart with “Blame It On Your Heart”
- Today in 1995, following his admission of guilt on drug possession charges, Ty Herndon released a videotaped apology to his fans while in rehab.
- Today in 1998, Loretta Lynn made a special appearance on the Friday Night Opry, opening with her first #1 country hit, “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’,” from 1966. She followed with “We’ve Come a Long Way Baby” from 1978 and rounded out her set with the hymn, “How Great Thou Art.” Next, she performed “How Great Thou Art” without accompaniment, and received a standing ovation. She finished with her signature tune, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
- Today in 2000, it became official — Garth Brooks was certified as selling 100-million albums.
- Today in 2001, a lot of great albums arrived in stores. K.T. Oslin’s “Live Close By, Visit Often;” Chris Cagle’s reissued “Play It Loud” album, “The Very Best of Asleep At The Wheel” and “Joy” from Willie Nelson & Friends were released.
- Today in 2004, Keith Urban’s “Raining On Sunday” ranked #1 when CMT presents “40 Sexiest Videos”
- Today in 2005, Big & Rich were made honorary marshals of Deadwood, South Dakota.
- Today in 2006, Taylor Swift’s debut single, “Tim McGraw,” hit the airwaves.
- Today in 2008, Loretta Lynn was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New York.
- Today in 2013, Music journalist and author Chet Flippo died in his sleep at Nashville’s Saint Thomas Hospital. Affiliated at various times with “Rolling Stone,” “Billboard” and CMT, he was also a background vocalist on the title track of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s album “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”
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