Gold Country NEWS

1958
Merle Haggard was transferred to San Quentin Prison, after a failed escape attempt from Bakersfield Jail. During his time at the proson, Haggard started to run a gambling and brewing racket with his cellmate. One time, after he was caught drunk, he was sent for a week to solitary confinement. Haggard had been arrested in 1957 shortly after he tried to rob a Bakersfield roadhouse.

1958
Born on this day in Princeton, New Jersey, was Mary Chapin Carpenter, folk and country music singer, songwriter. Carpenter has won five Grammy Awards and is the only artist to have won four consecutive Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, which she received from 1992 to 1995.

1958
Patsy Cline appeared on the networked TV show Ozark Jubilee. The show gave her the opportunity to choose her own material for a national audience. Cline made a total of sixteen appearances on the Jubilee. The series helped popularize country music in America's cities and suburbs drawing more than nine million viewers.

1970
Born on this day in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was Eric Heatherly, country music artist who had the 2000 top 20 Country hit "Swimming in Champagne."

1972
Dolly Parton released "Touch Your Woman" which peaked at #6 on the US country singles charts. A number of country radio stations refused to play the track because they found the song too sexually suggestive.

1976
C. W. McCall was at #1 on the US country album chart with Black Bear Road, which included the #1 hit novelty song, "Convoy". The song itself was largely responsible for starting a nationwide citizens' band radio craze. The song "Black Bear Road" in turn popularized the now-infamous road itself, along with its "You don't HAVE to be crazy to drive this road - but it helps" sign.

1976
Guests on this week's edition of the TV show Pop! Goes the Country included Jimmy Dean, Anne Murray and John Allen Cameron. The weekly half-hour syndicated variety country series ran from 1974 through 1982 for a total of 234 episodes and was recorded at the Grand Ole Opry House. The show featured performances by and interviews with country music singers, both established celebrities and up and coming singers and musicians.

1990
Country music winners at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards included; Best Female Country Vocal Performance, k.d. lang for Absolute Torch and Twang, Best Male Country Vocal Performance, Lyle Lovett for Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, Best Country Performance by a Group, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two, Best Country Vocal Collaboration, Hank Williams Jr. & Hank Williams Sr. for "There's a Tear in My Beer", Best Country Instrumental Performance Randy Scruggs for "Amazing Grace."

2000
Chad Brock released "Yes!" the second single from his album of the same name. The song which is considered to be Brock's signature song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, spending three weeks at #1 in the US and one week in Canada.