APRIL 4
1919: Songwriter Cy Coben was born in Jersey City, NJ. He racked up more than a dozen country hits when his songs were recorded by such artists as Bobby Bare, Eddy Arnold, Jerry Reed, Hank Snow and Connie Smith.
1932: Label executive Clive Davis was born in Brooklyn, NY. He headed Columbia Records, affecting the careers of Lynn Anderson and Sonny James, and launched a country wing for Arista Records, associated with Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn.
1938: Songwriter/producer Norro Wilson was born in Scottsville, KY. Wilson wrote “The Grand Tour,” “Soul Song” and “A Picture Of Me (Without You),” and produced such acts as Charly McClain, Kenny Chesney, Sammy Kershaw and Charley Pride.
1944: Songwriter Bob McDill was born in Beaumont, TX. He wrote 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.”
1966: Capitol released the album “Just Between The Two Of Us,” by Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens.
1971: Clay Davidson was born in Saltville, VA. He signed a recording contract with Virgin Records, earning a hit with his debut single, “Unconditional,” in 2000.
1973: Conway Twitty recorded “You’ve Never Been This Far Before” and “I’m Not Through Loving You Yet” at Bradley’s Barn in Mt. Juliet, TN.
1975: Barbra Streisand’s production company offered Elvis Presley $500,000 plus a percentage of the film to appear in “A Star Is Born.” Colonel Tom Parker responded with a counter demand so different that Presley loses the role to Kris Kristofferson.
1977: MCA released Loretta Lynn’s “I Remember Patsy” album.
1978: George Jones & Johnny Paycheck recorded the Chuck Berry classic “Mabellene” in an afternoon at Nashville’s Columbia Studio B.
1980: Red Sovine died 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.”
1981: Sylvia’s “Drifter” hit #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
1987: George Strait resided at #1 on the Billboard country chart with “Ocean Front Property.”
1988: Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens recorded “Streets Of Bakersfield” at the Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood.
1988: Garth Brooks auditioned for Capitol Records executives Jim Foglesong and Lynn Shults. Two months later, after Shults saw him play a live club date, Brooks landed a recording deal with the label.
1988: MCA released Skip Ewing’s debut album, “The Coast Of Colorado.”
1989: RCA/Curb released The Judds’ “River Of Time” album.
1989: Alabama’s “Southern Star” received a gold album.
1990: Alabama’s “Pass It On Down” video debuted on The Nashville Network.
1994: RCA released Alabama’s “Cheap Seats,” and the song is still played regularly at ballparks throughout the country. Major league teams that use the song include Milwaukee, Minnesota, Seattle, Texas, Cincinnati and Colorado.
2000: Songwriter Joe Rock died following heart surgery at Nashville’s Baptist Hospital. He wrote the pop classic “Since I Don’t Have You,” which Ronnie Milsap turned into a country hit in 1991.
2011: Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Jennifer Nettles, The Judds, Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride appeared as CBS shoots an Academy of Country Music special, “Girls’ Night Out: Superstar Women Of Country,” at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.
