1911
Born on this day in Caledonia, Minnesota, was Ken Nelson, record producer and A&R man for Capitol Records who was responsible for country music's growth during the post-World War II era. During his years with Capitol, he produced many of the genre's most notable and successful hits, by artists including Merle Travis, Gene Vincent, Ferlin Husky, Jean Shepard, Hank Thompson and the many #1 country hits known as the Bakersfield Sound by Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, along with many others. Nelson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. He died on 6 Jan 2008 aged 96.

1935
Born on this day in Joinerville, Texas was Charlie Waller, lead singer and guitarist for the legendary bluegrass band the Country Gentlemen. Waller was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1996. He died on August 18, 2004.

1939
Born on this day, was Phil Everly, singer, songwriter, with the country-influenced rock and roll performers The Everly Brothers. They scored 4 #1 Country hits in the late 50's; "Bye Bye Love", "Wake Up Little Susie", "Bird Dog" and "All I Have to Do Is Dream" Their song "When Will I Be Loved" later became hits for Reba McEntire and Linda Ronstadt, respectively. Phil Everly died on Jan 3rd 2014.

1946
Born on this day in Sevierville, Tennessee, was Dolly Parton, singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress. She is one of the most successful female country artists of all time; with an estimated 100 million albums sold. Known as "The Queen of Country Music", She has starred in the movies 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias, Straight Talk, Unlikely Angel and Joyful Noise.

1953
Marty Robbins was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Robbins was one of the most popular and successful country and western singers for most of his nearly four-decade career, which spanned from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. He was also an early outlaw country pioneer.

1954
George Jones recorded "No Money in This Deal" and "Play It Cool, Man". "No Money in This Deal" became his debut country song released on February 18, 1954 with Starday Records. The songs became the first recordings to be of a little over 900 that Jones would record during his 61-year career.

1957
Johnny Cash performed on The Jackie Gleason Show (almost one year to the week after Elvis), following the success of his #1 Country hit "There You Go."

1960
Ralph Peer an American talent scout, recording engineer and record producer died aged 67. He is credited with what is often called the first country music recording, Fiddlin' John Carson's disc "Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane"/"That Old Hen Cackled and The Rooster's Goin' To Crow". In August 1927, while talent hunting in the southern states he recorded both Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family in the same session at a makeshift studio in Bristol, Tennessee, known as the Bristol Sessions.

1972
Merle Haggard and The Strangers were at #1 on the Country charts with "Carolyn". It was the eleventh #1 for Haggard and the single stayed at the top of the charts for three weeks and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the chart.

1983
Mountain Music by Alabama was at #1 on the Country charts. Ther band's sixth studio album it became a crossover success, and ranked well as an album on both country and pop charts and launched singles that were successful in several markets. This is Alabama's most successful studio album.

1990
Reba McEntire makes her acting debut fending off snake-like monsters in the horror flick Tremors, starring Kevin Bacon. Released by Universal Pictures, the film was the first installment of the Tremors franchise.

1993
Kenny Rogers and Trisha Yearwood performed in The Presidential Inaugural Gala a day before Bill Clinton took office in The Whitehouse. Others on the bill include Fleetwood Mac, Chuck Berry, Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, and Elton John.

2008
Charlie Daniels was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith.

2012
On Dolly Parton's 66th birthday, Gaylord Opryland along with Dolly Parton and her Dollywood Co. announced plans to open a $50 million water and snow park, a fun and family-friendly travel destination that's open each month of the year in Nashville, Tennessee.

2024
Morgan Wallen was at #1 on the Country album chart with One Thing at a Time. It is the longest-running country album of all time on the chart. With a 19th week at #1 the album surpassed Garth Brooks' Ropin' the Wind for the most weeks at No. 1 among country albums.

2024
Elle King made headlines after taking to the Grand Ole Opry stage while heavily intoxicated during a Dolly Parton tribute show, in honor of Parton's 78th birthday. She later cancelled several of her own concerts in the wake of the incident. Parton subsequently came to King's defense during an interview with Extra, and King resumed performing in March of this year.

Graphic Design | Blade Design Ltd. ~ Websit