AUGUST 10
1909: Instrument innovator Leo Fender was born in Buena Park, CA. His brand of guitar and keyboard are played by numerous country artists, and one Baldemar Huerta adopted his last name for his own stage name: Freddy Fender
1926: Junior Samples was born in Cumming, GA. Dressed in trademark overalls, the heavy-set comedian becomes a fixture on “Hee Haw.” The phone number from his satirical used car commercials provided the name of the retro country band BR549
1927: Jimmy Martin was born in Sneedville, TN. He became the first lead singer in Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, and later broke away to forge a solo bluegrass career.
1928: Jimmy Dean was born in Olton, TX. A network TV host and sausage-company owner, he sold a million copies of the 1961 single “Big Bad John.” He joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
1940: Record producer/guitarist Jerry Kennedy was born in Shreveport, LA. He oversaw such hits as Reba McEntire’s “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” Tom T. Hall’s “I Love” and The Statler Brothers’ “Elizabeth.”
1941: Songwriter Larry Kingston was born in Lafayette, IN. He authored 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.”
1951: Hank Williams recorded “Half As Much” and “Baby, We’re Really In Love” during an evening session at Nashville’s Castle Studio. He also cut “I’m Sorry For You, My Friend,” a song he re-recorded in December.
1956: After seeing his matinee show in Jacksonville, FL, judge Marion Gooding told Elvis Presley if he repeats the afternoon’s moves in his two evening performances, he’d be arrested for indecency. Presley did both shows wiggling only his pinky.
1965: Roger Miller recorded “England Swings” in Nashville.
1976: Emmylou Harris recorded Chuck Berry’s “(You Never Can Tell) C’est La Vie.”
1981: MCA released Lee Greenwood’s first single, “It Turns Me Inside Out.”
1984: Columbia released Julio Iglesias’ pop album “1100 Bel Air Place.” It included his duet with Willie Nelson, “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
1991: Vince Gill joined the Grand Ole Opry, introduced by Roy Acuff, who shed tears as Gill delivered “When I Call Your Name.”
1993: Curb released Sawyer Brown’s “Outskirts Of Town” album.
1993: RCA released Aaron Tippin’s “Call Of The Wild” album.
2009: Brooks & Dunn announced in a short note that they would be ending their partnership after one last tour. The message? “It’s time to call it a day.” And while the pair – aka Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks – have continued recording solo music, they have since offered a reunion of sorts through a series of shows in Las Vegas with Reba McEntire.
2013: Guitarist Jody Payne dies in Stapleton, AL. 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.”
