AUGUST 12

1877: Thomas Edison used the phonograph to make the very first sound recording, a rendition of “Mary Had A Little Lamb.”

1927: Porter Wagoner was born in Howell County, MO. Known for his rhinestone suits, he developed a long-running syndicated TV show in which he introduced Dolly Parton as a duet partner. A member of the Grand Ole Opry beginning in 1957, he joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002.

1929: Buck Owens was born in Sherman, TX. Raised in California, he added a rock ‘n’ roll spirit to country music, becoming a major part of the Bakersfield Sound. He co-hosted “Hee Haw” for more than 15 years on his way into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

1938: Songwriter Paul Craft was born in Memphis. His credits include: T. Graham Brown’s “Come As You Were,” Moe Bandy’s “Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life” and Bobby Bare’s “Dropkick Me Jesus (Through The Goal Posts Of Life).“

1949: Mark Knopfler was born in London. The Dire Straits guitarist shares Grammys with Chet Atkins, and wrote “The Bug,” by Mary Chapin Carpenter; “Setting Me Up,” by Highway 101; and “When It Comes To You,” by John Anderson.

1956: Danny Shirley was born in Chattanooga, TN. He fronts Confederate Railroad, whose mix of country and Southern rock gives them a biker image and a handful of 1990s hits, including “Trashy Women,” “Daddy Never Was The Cadillac Kind” and “Queen Of Memphis.” 

1960: The former Carolyn Brown was granted a divorce from Bill Monroe. The judge stipulated that Monroe could not marry Bessie Lee Mauldin, with whom he shared a home in Tennessee, during his ex-wife’s lifetime.

1975: Crystal Gayle recorded “Somebody Loves You” during an afternoon session at Nashville studio Jack’s Tracks.

1982: Jerry Reed recorded “The Bird,” complete with vocal imitations of Willie Nelson and George Jones. It features bits of “Whiskey River,” “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “On The Road Again.”

1985: Warner Bros. released The Forester Sisters’ self-titled debut album.

1988: Kathy Mattea made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry.

1989: Patty Loveless notched her first #1 country single with “Timber, I’m Falling In Love.”

1993: Vince Gill racked up eight nominations and Alan Jackson got seven, as the Country Music Association unveiled finalists for its 1993 awards. Gill and Jackson face Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire for Entertainer of the Year.

2006: Rodney Atkins earned his first #1 single in Billboard: “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows).”

2016: Cody Jinks self-released the Top 5 country album “I’m Not The Devil.”

2020: Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart and songwriter Dean Dillon were announced as 2020 inductees in the Country Music Hall of Fame.