Apr 17, 1960: A car taking Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent to the London Airport crashes, killing Cochran, breaking Vincent’s collarbone and breaking “Poor Little Fool” songwriter Sharon Sheeley’s pelvis
Apr 17, 1961: Wanda Jackson records “I May Never Get To Heaven” and “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” in Nashville. The former becomes a Conway Twitty hit in 1979, while the latter Chuck Berry song earns country hit status for Waylon Jennings in ’69
Apr 17, 1968: Songwriter Monty Criswell is born in Mobile, Alabama. He achieves prominence as a writer on Craig Morgan’s “Tough,” Trace Adkins’ “Just Fishin"” and George Strait’s “I Saw God Today”
Apr 17, 1970: Johnny Cash plays the White House with June Carter and The Statler Brothers. Cash declines president Nixon’s request to do Merle Haggard’s “Okie From Muskogee” but does perform “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Peace In The Valley” and “What Is Truth”
Apr 17, 1970: Billy Walker records “When A Man Loves A Woman (The Way That I Love You)” at the Monument Studio in Nashville
Apr 17, 1972: Johnny Cash holds the first session at his new House Of Cash studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Among the songs he tackles is “Help Me,” a future Elvis Presley hit written by Larry Gatlin, who is present at the session
Apr 17, 1976: “Drinkin’ My Baby (Off My Mind)” brings Eddie Rabbitt his first #1 country single as an artist in Billboard magazine
Apr 17, 1982: Johnny Cash hosts “Saturday Night Live” from New York with musical guest Elton John. The Man In Black sings “I Walk The Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring Of Fire” and “Sunday Morning Coming Down”
Apr 17, 1984: The Statler Brothers record “Hello Mary Lou” during a morning session at the Sound Stage in Nashville
Apr 17, 2001: Music City Records releases Charley Pride’s “A Tribute To Jim Reeves,” purported to be the first CD using technology that prevents unauthorized copying
Apr 17, 2004: Songwriter/guitarist Dave Kirby dies at home in Branson, Missouri, from cancer. Married to Leona Williams, he played on hits by Dolly Parton and Bill Anderson, and wrote “Is Anybody Goin’ To San Antone” and “There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang”
Apr 17, 2018: The autobiography “Let Your Love Flow: The Life And Times Of The Bellamy Brothers” is published
Apr 17, 2018: Guitarist/songwriter/producer Randy Scruggs dies. He authored Deana Carter’s “We Danced Anyway” and Billy Joe Royal’s “Love Has No Right”; produced Sawyer Brown and Earl Thomas Conley; and played on hits by George Strait, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings and Miranda Lambert
