Apr 12, 1925: Ned Miller is born in Raines, Utah. He gains one of the biggest hits of 1963, “From A Jack To A King,” and writes Sonny James’ “Behind The Tear”
Apr 12, 1935: TV producer Gene Weed is born in Dallas, Texas. He becomes a longtime producer of the Academy of Country Music awards, and has a hand in such shows as NBC-TV’s “Hot Country Nights” and TNN’s “Prime Time Country”
Apr 12, 1957: Vince Gill is born in Norman, Oklahoma. After work with the pop group Pure Prairie League, he becomes a solo country artist, with his songwriting, guitar work and soft voice making him a frequent Grammy winner and Country Music Hall of Famer
Apr 12, 1957: RCA manager Steve Sholes appoints Chet Atkins as the label’s musical director
Apr 12, 1958: Don Gibson joins the Grand Ole Opry
Apr 12, 1961: The Marty Robbins recording “El Paso” wins Best Country & Western Performance during the third annual Grammy Awards
Apr 12, 1972: John Denver records “Rocky Mountain High” at the RCA Studios in New York
Apr 12, 1972: The first Fan Fair begins in Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium
Apr 12, 1980: Charley Pride’s remake of Hank Williams’ “Honky Tonk Blues” goes to #1 on the Billboard country chart
Apr 12, 1986: Warner Bros. re-releases Randy Travis’ “On The Other Hand.” The single was put out originally the previous July with little success. The second time around, it goes to #1
Apr 12, 1986: Lorrie Morgan and Keith Whitley play the Grand Ole Opry on the same night. Whitley asks her out for the first time
Apr 12, 1989: Capitol releases Garth Brooks’ self-titled debut album
Apr 12, 1992: After finishing the song on the bus with co-writer Jim McBride, Alan Jackson plays “Chattahoochee” on stage for the first time in Thibodeaux, Louisiana
Apr 12, 1992: McDonald’s begins airing 30-second commercials featuring Dwight Yoakam
Apr 12, 1993: Revlon debuts ads with Trisha Yearwood, celebrating her new Wild Heart perfume
Apr 12, 1999: Boxcar Willie dies of leukemia in Branson, Missouri. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1981, he gained national fame for his hobo attire and a series of traditional country recordings marketed via late-night TV commercials
Apr 12, 2000: Bill Anderson and Jon Randall write “Whiskey Lullaby”
