APRIL 23
1936: Roy Orbison was born in Vernon, TX. A 1987 addition to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he reached the country charts with his solo hit “You Got It” and a duet with Emmylou Harris. His songs “Crying” and “Blue Bayou” also become country hits for Don McLean and Linda Ronstadt, respectively
1947: Songwriter Kent Robbins was born in Mayfield, KY. Among his credits: George Strait’s “Write This Down,” The Judds’ “Love Is Alive,” John Anderson’s “Straight Tequila Night,” Trace Adkins’ “Every Light In The House” and Gary Allan’s “Her Man“
1953: Elvis Presley made his first record, an acetate recording of “My Happiness,” at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis
1956: Elvis Presley made his Las Vegas debut, with Shecky Green and the Freddy Martin Orchestra, at the New Frontier Hotel. Reaction is so negative, his four-week booking ends after two weeks
1977: Kenny Rogers recorded “Sweet Music Man” during an evening session at the Jack Clement Studios in Nashville
1983: Columbia released Willie Nelson’s “Take It To The Limit” album
1992: A 13-mile stretch of Mississippi Highway 23 is renamed for Tammy Wynette.
1994: Bill Monroe’s farm in Sumner County, TN, was sold at auction for $375,000. The land was bought by the Grand Ole Opry, which refurbished the log house and allowed Monroe to continue living there
1997: At the 32nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards, Brooks & Dunn were named Entertainers of the Year, Patty Loveless was named Female Vocalist of the Year, and George Strait was Male Vocalist. Trace Adkins and LeAnn Rimes were named Top New Male & Female Vocalists, and the Single of the Year was “Blue.”
1998: Pam Tillis portrayed con artist Kate Matthews on two CBS-TV shows on the same evening: “Promised Land” and “Diagnosis: Murder“
2000: Johnny Cash and Ralph Stanley were given Living Legend medals from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
2015: A VIP grand opening party was held for the George Jones Museum in downtown Nashville. Guests included Dierks Bentley, Lee Greenwood, T.G. Sheppard, Jeannie Seely, Lorrie Morgan, John Rich and Rex Allen Jr.
