Apr 4, 1919: Songwriter Cy Coben is born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He racks up more than a dozen country hits when his songs are recorded by such artists as Bobby Bare, Eddy Arnold, Jerry Reed, Hank Snow and Connie Smith
Apr 4, 1932: Label executive Clive Davis is born in Brooklyn, New York. He heads Columbia Records, affecting the careers of Lynn Anderson and Sonny James, and launches a country wing for Arista Records, associated with Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn
Apr 4, 1938: Songwriter/producer Norro Wilson is born in Scottsville, Kentucky. Wilson writes “The Grand Tour,” “Soul Song” and “A Picture Of Me (Without You),” and produces such acts as Charly McClain, Kenny Chesney, Sammy Kershaw and Charley Pride
Apr 4, 1944: Songwriter Bob McDill is born in Beaumont, Texas. He writes more than 40 Top 20 singles, including Sammy Kershaw’s “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” Don Williams’ “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” Mel McDaniel’s “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On,” Alan Jackson’s “Gone Country” and Keith Whitley’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes”
Apr 4, 1966: Capitol releases the album “Just Between The Two Of Us,” by Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens
Apr 4, 1971: Clay Davidson is born in Saltville, Virginia. He signs a recording contract with Virgin Records, earning a hit with his debut single, “Unconditional,” in 2000
Apr 4, 1973: Conway Twitty records “You’ve Never Been This Far Before” and “I’m Not Through Loving You Yet” at Bradley’s Barn in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Apr 4, 1975: Barbra Streisand’s production company offers Elvis Presley $500,000 plus a percentage of the film to appear in “A Star Is Born.” Colonel Tom Parker responds with a counter demand so different that Presley loses the role to Kris Kristofferson
Apr 4, 1977: MCA releases Loretta Lynn’s “I Remember Patsy” album
Apr 4, 1978: George Jones & Johnny Paycheck record the Chuck Berry classic “Mabellene” in an afternoon at Nashville’s Columbia Studio B
Apr 4, 1980: Red Sovine dies after suffering a heart attack while driving a van in Nashville. A member of the Grand Ole Opry beginning in 1954, he gained his biggest recognition for the recitation records “Teddy Bear,” “Giddyup Go” and “Phantom 309”
Apr 4, 1987: George Strait resides at #1 on the Billboard country chart with “Ocean Front Property”
Apr 4, 1988: Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens record “Streets Of Bakersfield” at the Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood
Apr 4, 1988: Garth Brooks auditions for Capitol Records executives Jim Foglesong and Lynn Shults. Two months later, after Shults sees him play a live club date, Brooks lands a recording deal with the label
Apr 4, 1988: MCA releases Skip Ewing’s debut album, “The Coast Of Colorado”
Apr 4, 1989: RCA/Curb releases The Judds’ “River Of Time” album
