Aug 10, 1909
Instrument innovator Leo Fender is born in Buena Park, California. His brand of guitar and keyboard are played by numerous country artists, and one Baldemar Huerta adopts his last name for his own stage name: Freddy Fender
Aug 10, 1926
Junior Samples is born in Cumming, Georgia. Dressed in trademark overalls, the heavy-set comedian becomes a fixture on “Hee Haw.” The phone number from his satirical used car commercials provides the name of the retro country band BR549
Aug 10, 1927
Jimmy Martin is born in Sneedville, Tennessee. He becomes the first lead singer in Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, later breaking away to forge a solo bluegrass career
Aug 10, 1928
Jimmy Dean is born in Olton, Texas. A network TV host and sausage-company owner, he sells a million copies of the 1961 single “Big Bad John.” He joins the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010
Aug 10, 1940
Record producer/guitarist Jerry Kennedy is born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He oversees such hits as Reba McEntire’s “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” Tom T. Hall’s “I Love” and The Statler Brothers’ “Elizabeth”
Aug 10, 1941
Songwriter Larry Kingston is born in Lafayette, Indiana. He authors such hits as Roy Clark’s “Thank God And Greyhound,” Johnny Paycheck’s “The Lovin’ Machine,” Ed Bruce’s “If It Was Easy” and The Kendalls’ “Pittsburgh Stealers”
Aug 10, 1951
Hank Williams records “Half As Much” and “Baby, We’re Really In Love” during an evening session at Nashville’s Castle Studio. He also cuts “I’m Sorry For You, My Friend,” a song he re-records in December
Aug 10, 1956
After seeing his matinee show in Jacksonville, Florida, judge Marion Gooding tells Elvis Presley if he repeats the afternoon’s moves in his two evening performances, he’ll be arrested for indecency. Presley does both shows wiggling only his pinky
Aug 10, 1965
Roger Miller records “England Swings” in Nashville
Aug 10, 1976
Emmylou Harris records Chuck Berry’s “(You Never Can Tell) C’est La Vie”
Aug 10, 1981
MCA releases Lee Greenwood’s first single, “It Turns Me Inside Out”
Aug 10, 1984
Columbia releases Julio Iglesias’ pop album “1100 Bel Air Place.” It includes his duet with Willie Nelson, “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before”
Aug 10, 1991
Vince Gill joins the Grand Ole Opry, introduced by Roy Acuff, who sheds tears as Gill delivers “When I Call Your Name”
Aug 10, 1993
Curb releases Sawyer Brown’s “Outskirts Of Town” album
Aug 10, 1993
RCA releases Aaron Tippin’s “Call Of The Wild” album
Aug 10, 2013
Guitarist Jody Payne dies in Stapleton, Alabama. A longtime member of Willie Nelson’s band, he played on such hits as “Whiskey River,” “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain,” “Blue Skies” and “Georgia On My Mind”
