AUGUST 13
1924: Vernon Dalhart recorded “The Wreck Of The Old ’97” and “The Prisoner’s Song” in New York. The two sides comprise the first million-selling single in country music history.
1951: Dan Fogelberg was born in Peoria, IL. His 1985 album “High Country Snows” features Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill and Doc Watson, and his supporting tour lead to the formation of The Desert Rose Band.
1951: Fiddler Hubert Dwane “Hoot” Hester was born in Louisville, KY. A member of the Grand Ole Opry house band, he appears on hits by Conway Twitty, Dan Seals, Steve Wariner and Ricky Van Shelton.
1958: Johnny Cash recorded “Don’t Take Your Guns To Town” and the original version of “I Still Miss Someone” at the Bradley Recording Studio in Nashville.
1966: David Houston’s “Almost Persuaded” went to #1 on the Billboard country chart.
1973: Andy Griggs was born in Monroe, LA. Influenced by Waylon Jennings and Bob Seger, his 1999 debut album netted hits with the Pure Prairie League-like “You Won’t Ever Be Lonely” and the sensitive “She’s More.”
1973: MCA released Conway Twitty’s “You’ve Never Been This Far Before” album.
1973: MCA released Loretta Lynn’s album “Love Is The Foundation.”
1979: Johnny Cash and June Carter renewed their wedding vows while vacationing in Jamaica. Upon return in September, he quashed Music Row rumors that he had an affair with Grand Ole Opry star Jan Howard.
1988: Willie Nelson became the first artist ever to have an album spend 10 years on the Billboard country chart as “Stardust” logged its 520th week.
1988: K.T. Oslin made her Grand Ole Opry debut.
1988: Keith Whitley collected his first #1 country single in Billboard magazine with “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”
1991: Arista released Brooks & Dunn’s debut album, “Brand New Man.”
1994: John Michael Montgomery nabbed a #1 country single in Billboard magazine with “Be My Baby Tonight.”
2009: Guitarist and recording pioneer Les Paul died from pneumonia in New York’s West Plains Hospital. With then-wife Mary Ford he had a 1951 country hit with “Mockin’ Bird Hill.” He also won a country Grammy for a recording with Chet Atkins.
2013: It Books published Ricky Skaggs’ autobiography, “Kentucky Traveler.”
2013: Tompall Glaser died at his Nashville home. A member of Tompall & The Glaser Brothers, he wrote Bobby Bare’s “The Streets Of Baltimore” and joined Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Jessi Colter on the 1976 album “Wanted: The Outlaws.”
2021: Singer/songwriter Nanci Griffith died in Nashville. Her 1993 release “Other Rooms, Other Voices” won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. She also wrote a pair of Top 10 country hits: Kathy Mattea’s “Love At The Five & Dime” and Suzy Bogguss’ “Outbound Plane.”
