1930
Born on this day in Cowpens, South Carolina, was Hank Garland a Nashville studio guitarist who performed with Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison and many others. At the age of 19, Garland recorded his million-selling hit "Sugarfoot Rag." He died on 27 December 2004.

1959
Born on this day was American session musician, producer, and songwriter Jimmie Lee Sloas. He has wrked with artists such as Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes, Kellie Pickler and Reba McEntire. His father, Dave, was a member of the popular bluegrass group, The Sloas Brothers. His older brother, David, served as Tammy Wynette's lead guitarist from the early 1980s until her death.

1973
The Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge album Full Moon was at #1 on the Country chart. The duet album was the first of three duet albums by the couple, who married the year before the album's release.

1978
Waylon Jennings was at #1 on the US country album chart with I've Always Been Crazy. Three singles from the album hit the country charts' top ten: the title reached #1 and "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand" peaked at #5, as did "Girl I Can Tell (You're Trying to Work It Out)". "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand" was Jennings' personal statement on the state of the outlaw movement, written after having been detained by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1977 for possession of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute. Jennings was never convicted of the crime due to critical faults in the legal process against him.

1978

1981
During sessions at Woodland Sound Studio Nashville, Tennessee, Reba McEntire recorded "Can't Even Get the Blues" which when released in September 1982 gave the singer her first US #1 Country hit.

2008
Country music superstar Reba McEntire left her longtime record label MCA Nashville, after 24 years and signed to The Valory Music Co., sister label to Big Machine Records. McEntire and Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta had previously worked together in the 1990s when Borchetta was senior president of promotion for MCA Nashville.

2008
Hank Williams Jr. was honored as a BMI Icon at the 56th annual BMI Country Awards. The artists and songwriters named BMI Icons have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers."

2009
Taylor Swift became the youngest artist ever to win the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the year, and is one of only six women to win the Country Music Association's highest honor. Brad Paisley co-hosted the awards for the second straight year. He also performed "Welcome to the Future", and won both Male Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for "Start a Band" with Keith Urban. New Artist of the Year went to Darius Rucker.

2011
Rodney Atkins was arrested for allegedly trying to smother his wife Tammy McDonald with a pillow. He was released on $2,500 bail three hours after the arrest, and was ordered by Williamson County, Tennessee court to take an anger assessment. The altercation was disputed by Atkins' lawyer, who stated that it was purely verbal. Atkins filed for divorce within twenty-four hours of the alleged assault.

2014
Garth Brooks released his eleventh studio album Man Against Machine. The album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the US Top Country Albums Chart.