APRIL 12
1925: Ned Miller was born in Raines, UT. He gained one of the biggest hits of 1963, “From A Jack To A King,” and wrote Sonny James’ “Behind The Tear.”
1935: TV producer Gene Weed was born in Dallas, TX. He became a longtime producer of the Academy of Country Music awards, and had a hand in such shows as NBC-TV’s “Hot Country Nights” and TNN’s “Prime Time Country.”
1957: Vince Gill was born in Norman, OK. After work with the pop group Pure Prairie League, he became a solo country artist, with his songwriting, guitar work and soft voice making him a frequent Grammy winner and Country Music Hall of Famer.
1957: RCA manager Steve Sholes appointed Chet Atkins as the label’s musical director.
1958: Don Gibson joined the Grand Ole Opry.
1961: The Marty Robbins recording “El Paso” won Best Country & Western Performance during the third annual Grammy Awards.
1972: John Denver recorded “Rocky Mountain High” at the RCA Studios in New York.
1972: The first Fan Fair began in Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium.
1980: Charley Pride’s remake of Hank Williams’ “Honky Tonk Blues” went to #1 on the Billboard country chart.
1986: Warner Bros. re-released Randy Travis’ “On The Other Hand.” The single was put out originally the previous July with little success. The second time around, it went to #1.
1986: Lorrie Morgan and Keith Whitley played the Grand Ole Opry on the same night. Whitley asked her out for the first time.
1989: Capitol released Garth Brooks’ self-titled debut album.
1992: After finishing the song on the bus with co-writer Jim McBride, Alan Jackson played “Chattahoochee” on stage for the first time in Thibodeaux, LA.
1992: McDonald’s began airing 30-second commercials featuring Dwight Yoakam.
1993: Revlon debuted ads with Trisha Yearwood, celebrating her new Wild Heart perfume.
1999: Boxcar Willie died of leukemia in Branson, MO. 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.
2000: Bill Anderson and Jon Randall wrote “Whiskey Lullaby.”
