Apr 24, 1937: Bass player Dick Kniss is born in Portland, Oregon. He becomes a member of John Denver’s band, appearing on such hits as “Back Home Again,” “Annie’s Song,” “I’m Sorry” and “Thank God I’m A Country Boy”
Apr 24, 1943: Richard Sterban, of The Oak Ridge Boys, is born in Camden, New Jersey. He provides the distinctive bass vocal presence on such hits as “Elvira,” “Bobbie Sue” and “Love Song” after joining the group in 1972. The Oaks join the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015
Apr 24, 1947: Songwriter Rich Fagan is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He authors John Michael Montgomery’s “Be My Baby Tonight” and “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)” as well as Moe Bandy’s “Americana” and Clay Walker’s “Only On Days That End In ‘Y"”
Apr 24, 1960: Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs record “Polka On A Banjo”
Apr 24, 1961: Bill Anderson records “Po’ Folks”
Apr 24, 1970: Conway Twitty records the Merle Haggard-penned “I Wonder What She’ll Think About Me Leaving” at Bradley’s Barn in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Apr 24, 1976: The National Life & Accident Insurance Company announces plans to build a new 615-room hotel adjacent to the Grand Ole Opry House on Briley Parkway in Nashville: The Opryland Hotel
Apr 24, 1976: Emmylou Harris’ remake of Buck Owens’ “Together Again” becomes her first #1 country single in Billboard
Apr 24, 1991: Garth Brooks wins a record six times during the 26th annual Academy Of Country Music awards on NBC. His haul includes Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist; Album (“No Fences”); Single Record (“Friends In Low Places”); and Song and Video (“The Dance”)
Apr 24, 1993: Sammy Kershaw picks up a #1 country single in Billboard magazine with “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful”
Apr 24, 1996: Brooks & Dunn win a pair of honors at the 31st annual Academy Of Country Music awards, shown by NBC from Los Angeles’ Universal Amphitheatre. Co-hosting with Faith Hill, they claim Entertainer of the Year and Top Vocal Duet
Apr 24, 2006: Bonnie Owens dies at a Bakersfield, California, hospice following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The former wife of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, she was also the mother of Buddy Alan and sang on many of Haggard’s hits
Apr 24, 2015: The George Jones Museum opens on Second Avenue North in Nashville
