AUGUST 9

1934: Singer/songwriter Merle Kilgore was born in Chickasha, OK. He achieved his biggest successes as the writer of Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire” and Claude King’s “Wolverton Mountain,” but he’s best known as Hank Williams Jr.’s manager.

1947: Bonnie Campbell joined Buck Owens’ band as a background singer. Five months later, she married the bandleader.

1949: The divorce of Hank and Audrey Williams, finalized in May 1948, was reversed, 2.5 months after the birth of Hank Williams Jr.

1952: Hank Williams missed a scheduled appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Two days later, Opry manager Jim Denny fired him.

1960: Johnny Horton recorded “North To Alaska,” the only song he tackled during a two-hour session at the Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville. It proves to be the final recording of his life.

1966: Jack Greene recorded “There Goes My Everything.”

1971: Capitol released the Merle Haggard album “Someday We’ll Look Back.”

1971: Decca released the Conway Twitty album “I Wonder What She’ll Think About Me Leaving.”

1975: “Wasted Days And Wasted Nights” put Freddy Fender’s name at #1 on the Billboard country chart.

1976: Emmylou Harris recorded “Making Believe” and “Two More Bottles Of Wine.”

1980: Mickey Gilley hit the top of the Billboard country chart with a song from the “Urban Cowboy” soundtrack, “Stand By Me.”

1986: The U.S. Senate passed a resolution recognizing Bill Monroe as the “creator, shaper, performer and promoter” of bluegrass music.

1986: The Judds’ “Rockin’ With The Rhythm Of The Rain” went to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.

1991: Alabama recorded “Born Country.”

1994: Polydor releases Chely Wright’s debut album, “Woman In The Moon.“

2003: Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett spent the first of eight weeks at the top of the Billboard chart with “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.”

2004: Songwriter Sam Hogin died in Nashville, following a battle with diabetes. Among his credits: Don Williams’ “I Believe In You,” Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing” and Lonestar’s “No News.”