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Gold Country NEWS

1955
Born on this day was American country music artist James House. Originally a member of a group called the House Band, he later penned singles for Diamond Rio and Dwight Yoakam, before he charted two Top 40 singles on the Billboard country chart, including the Top 10 hit "This Is Me Missing You".

1968
Tammy Wynette recored her version of the Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman song "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" which went on to top the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in June of this year. "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" is a woman's perspective on the impending collapse of her marriage. The lyrics begin with an old parenting trick of spelling out words mothers and fathers hope their young children will not understand.

1971
Winners at the 6th Academy of Country Music Awards held at The Palladium in Hollywood hosted by Dick Clark included: Top Male Vocalist of the Year - Merle Haggard, Top Female Vocalist of the Year - Lynn Anderson, Top Vocal Group - Kimberleys, Song of the Year - Ray Price "For the Good Times", and Top Television Personality of the Year went to Johnny Cash.

1976
Wanted! The Outlaws featuring Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, was at #1 on the US Country music album chart. Wanted! The Outlaws earned its place in music history by becoming the first country album to sell a million copies.

1977
Luxury Liner gave Emmylou Harris her second successive #1 country album on the Billboard Music Charts. The highest charting singles were the #6 Chuck Berry cover "(You Never Can Tell) C'est la Vie" and the #8 "Making Believe" (originally a hit for Kitty Wells). The title track was written by Gram Parsons.

1978
"Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson was at #1 on the US Country chart. It beacame the last song for 12 years to spend four weeks at the top of the chart.

1988
The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville's Music Row opened The Johnny Cash Exhibit. Cash opened the exhibition with one of the 'biggest parties ever' - the star-studded guest list included Emmylou Harris, Lynn Anderson, Chet Atkins, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Sam Phillips and Bill Monroe.

1994
Tim McGraw released his second album Not a Moment Too Soon which became his first US Country #1 album. It stayed at the top of the charts for 26 consecutive weeks and was Billboard's best selling album of 1994 and The Academy of Country Music named it Album of the Year in 1994.

2003
Dixie Chicks were at #1 on the country charts with Home, their sixth studio album. The group was promoting this album when lead singer Natalie Maines made controversial comments about US President George W. Bush. The album's third single, "Travelin' Soldier", was #1 on the Billboard Country Chart the week that Maines' comments hit the press. The following week, many stations started a still-standing boycott of the Chicks' music.

Day in Country Music