AUGUST 20

1923: Jim Reeves WAs born in Panola County, TX. Combining a warm tone with perfectionist phrasing, he became one of country music’s strongest balladeers. He entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1967, three years after a plane crash took his life.

1935: Justin Tubb was born in San Antonio, TX, the son of Country Music Hall of Famer Ernest Tubb. He joined the Grand Ole Opry at age 20, netting a handful of hits and writing hits for Hawkshaw Hawkins, Highway 101 and George Jones, among others.

1952: Rudy Gatlin, of The Gatlin Brothers, was born in Olney, TX. Behind songwriting lead singer Larry Gatlin, the trio earned a Grammy for 1976’s “Broken Lady,” beginning a 12-year string of harmony-packed successes.

1967: A sound decision: Ray Dolby introduced the Dolby noise-reduction system, which cut tape hiss in recordings.

1969: Johnny Cash and June Carter record “If I Were A Carpenter” in Nashville at the Columbia Recording Studios. Cash also cuts “See Ruby Fall.”

1971: Johnny Paycheck recorded “She’s All I Got” at Nashville’s Columbia Recording Studios.

1974: David Allan Coe recorded “the perfect country & western song,” “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” at Nashville’s Columbia Studio A, namechecking Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard and songwriter Steve Goodman.

1977: Elvis Presley’s “Way Down” went to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.

1978: Ralph Stanley had a son, Ralph Stanley II.

1988: Restless Heart’s “Bluest Eyes In Texas” rose to #1 on the Billboard country chart.

1991: Epic released Collin Raye’s debut album, “All I Can Be.”

1996: Mercury released Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Trail Of Tears” album.

1996: In one of country music’s more unusual collaborations, River North Records releases The Beach Boys’ “Stars And Stripes” album, featuring country remakes of their classics with Toby Keith, Lorrie Morgan, Sawyer Brown, Willie Nelson and others.