AUGUST 27
1924: Oliver “Mooney” Lynn was born in Kentucky. He later married Loretta Lynn and inspired her rise as a country singer.
1925: Carter Stanley was born in Stratton, VA. With sibling Ralph Stanley, he formed The Stanley Brothers, a bluegrass outfit that rivaled Bill Monroe’s and influenced the harmonies of future country star Ricky Skaggs.
1937: J.D. Crowe was born in Lexington, KY. His bluegrass band The New South provided a formative stepping stone for such country figures as Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley and Diamond Rio’s Gene Johnson.
1949: Guitarist/vocalist Jeff Cook was born in Fort Payne, AL. He founded the band Alabama with two cousins, grabbing multiple Entertainer of the Year awards on their way to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1955: George Jones recorded “Why Baby Why” and “What Am I Worth” at the Goldstar Recording Studio in Houston.
1957: Bill Anderson wrote “City Lights” on the roof of the Hotel Andrew Jackson in Commerce, GA.
1960: “The Louisiana Hayride” was canceled in Shreveport. The “Hayride” had provided competition for the Grand Ole Opry, and groomed such stars as Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves and Hank Williams.
1964: Johnny Cash and June Carter recorded Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me, Babe” at the Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville.
1977: Crystal Gayle began a four-week stay at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart with “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.”
1978: Eric Allen was born in Flint, MI. He became lead singer Whitey Morgan of Whitey Morgan and the 78s.
1982: MCA released Barbara Mandrell’s gospel album “He Set My Life To Music.”
1990: Capitol released Garth Brooks’ album “No Fences.”
1990: Rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan died in a helicopter crash in East Troy, WI. His keyboard player, Reese Wynans, went into a one-year depression before moving to Nashville, where he played on hits by Montgomery Gentry, Trisha Yearwood, John Michael Montgomery and Lee Roy Parnell.
1991: Warner Bros. released Randy Travis’ single “Forever Together” and the “High Lonesome” album.
1993: “The Thing Called Love” opens. Based on Nashville’s The Bluebird Cafe, it features K.T. Oslin and Trisha Yearwood on screen, and becomes River Phoenix’s last movie. In the soundtrack: Clay Walker’s “Dreaming With My Eyes Wide Open.”
1996: MCA released Trisha Yearwood’s “Everybody Knows” album.
1996: Warner Bros. released Travis Tritt’s album “The Restless Kind.”
1996: Warner Bros. released Jeff Foxworthy’s comedy project “Crank It Up: The Music Album.” It includes guest appearances by Alan Jackson, Little Texas, The Beach Boys, Mac Wiseman and Del McCoury.
