APRIL 30
1925: Johnny Horton was born in Los Angeles. Married to Hank Williams’ widow, Billie Jean Jones, he found a niche in the late-1950s and 1960 with historically based singles, including “North To Alaska,” “Sink The Bismarck” and “The Battle Of New Orleans.”
1929: Charles “Fuzzy” Owen was born in Conway, AR. He wrote Ferlin Husky & Jean Shepard’s “A Dear John Letter” and Ray Price’s “The Same Old Me,” and founded Tally Records, the first label to record Merle Haggard.
1951: Columbia released Ray Price’s debut single, the Lefty Frizzell-penned “If You’re Ever Lonely Darling.”
1957: Elvis Presley recorded “Jailhouse Rock” at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.
1963: Wynn Stewart held his final recording session for Challenge Records. Playing bass on the date: Merle Haggard.
1970: Bobby Bare recorded “That’s How I Got To Memphis” and “Come Sundown” during an afternoon session at the Jack Clement Recording Studio in Nashville.
1974: “The Best Of The Best Of Merle Haggard” album was certified gold
1980: Warner Bros. released Emmylou Harris’ “Roses In The Snow” album.
1981: George Jones won three times in the 16th Academy Of Country Music awards at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium. Jones took Top Male Vocalist, and “He Stopped Loving Her Today“–written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman–was Song and Single Record of the Year.
1982: The “Always On My Mind” album by Willie Nelson was certified gold.
1988: Rodney Crowell & Rosanne Cash met at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart with “It’s Such A Small World.”
1991: Three nights of recording began for Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers’ “At The Ryman” at a still-unrefurbished Ryman Auditorium. This event has been credited as one of the major inspirations for reviving downtown Nashville.
1991: MCA released Trisha Yearwood’s debut single, “She’s In Love With The Boy.”
1994: Faith Hill’s remake of “Piece Of My Heart” made it to the #1 spot on the Billboard country singles chart.
1996: Mindy McCready’s album, “Ten Thousand Angels,” was released.
1996: BR5-49 released the album, “Live From Robert’s Western World Home.”
1999: Jo Dee Messina appeared on CBS TV’s Nash Bridges as “Tammy McGraw.” In the episode, Nash was trying to track down a group of female robbers, whom he suspected as being manipulated by their jailed husbands. In the process, he goes to Jo Dee’s character for help. Besides acting in the show, Jo Dee also performed her hit single, “Lesson In Leavin’.”
2002: The albums, “Cledus Envy” by Cledus T. Judd; “The Soul & The Edge” from Johnny Paycheck and “Super Hits” by Collin Raye, arrived in stores.
2011: Garth Brooks attended the wedding of Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn. Clint Eastwood was best man. Also in attendance: Priscilla Presley, Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.
2015: Atlantic Council recognized Toby Keith with its Distinguished Leadership Award in Washington, D.C. During the ceremony, Toby performed “American Soldier.”
