HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS DOLLY PARTON
Flash Big Country News
1946 - Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton US singer, songwriter, actress. She had the 1976 UK No.7 single 'Jolene', and the 1981 US No.1 single '9 to 5'. She has 44 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and she has 110 career-charted singles over the past 40 years. She has composed over 3,000 songs including Parton 'I Will Always Love You' which was a US Country No.1 for her in 1974 and became a UK & US No.1 for Whitney Houston in 1992. In 1974 Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to record 'I Will Always Love You' and Parton was told by his manager that it was standard procedure for the songwriter to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song recorded by Presley. Parton refused. That decision has been credited with helping to make her many millions of dollars in royalties from the song over the years.
January 21 2026
1942
Born on this day, was Mac Davis, country music singer, songwriter, and actor His early work writing for Elvis Presley produced multiple #1 hits (including "Memories", "In The Ghetto", and the latently popular "A Little Less Conversation"). He died age 78 on September 29, 2020, following heart surgery.
1957
Patsy Cline made her debut appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts TV show in New York City. The day of the show, she met with the show's producer Janette Davis. Cline had chosen "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)" to perform on the program, but Davis preferred "Walkin' After Midnight". Cline initially refused to perform it, but ultimately agreed to it. Davis also suggested Cline wore a cocktail dress instead of the cowgirl outfit created by her mother. Cline won the program's contest that night.
1970
Special guests on this week's Johnny Cash ABC television music variety show included, Arlo Guthrie, Jose Feliciano (who performed a duet with Cash on "I Guess Things Happen That Way"), and Bobbie Gentry who performed "Fancy (Don't Let Me Down)" and a duet with Cash on "On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain."
1985
Wanted: The Outlaws, featuring Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, was certified double-platinum.
1987
Dwight Yoakam was awared his first gold album, for his debut Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. The album featured his first three hits "Honky Tonk Man", "Guitars, Cadillacs", and "It Won't Hurt".
1987
Bruce Springsteen inducted Roy Orbison into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. Other artists inducted on the night included: The Coasters, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Carl Perkins, Muddy Waters, Hank Williams and Jackie Wilson.
2006
Carrie Underwood was at #1 on the Billboard Country charts for the first of six weeks with "Jesus, Take The Wheel." Later this year it was reported that "Jesus, Take the Wheel" had sold more than 1 million ringtones.
2012
Lady Antebellum were at #1 on the US Country chart with Own the Night which won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album at the 54th Grammy Awards. Four singles were released from Own the Night, "Just a Kiss", "We Owned the Night", "Dancin' Away with My Heart" and "Wanted You More".
2017
Crystal Gayle was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Loretta Lynn. She was part of a bigger musical trend by many country artists of the 1970s to appeal to a wider audience. Subsequently, Gayle became one of the most successful crossover artists of the 1970s and 80s. Gayle has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2019
Maxine Brown Russell died age 87. She performed with siblings Jim Ed and Bonnie Brown as The Browns. The siblings' first chart single "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow" peaked at #7 in 1955, and in 1956, their recording of "I Take the Chance" was a #2 hit on the country charts.
2021
American country singer-songwriter Randy Parton died from cancer age 67. The younger brother of Dolly Parton had the 1981 hits "Hold Me Like You Never Had Me" and "Shot Full of Love".
2021
Lady A were inducted immediately upon invitation into the Grand Ole Opry as part of a filming of NBC’s 2021 special, Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music. They were invited by Darius Rucker.
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