Bob Luman died in Nashville from pneumonia in 1978. He developed a career that teetered between country and rockabilly, earning five hits from 1960-1974, topped by Lonely Women Make Good Lovers. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1965.
Hank Williams Jr.’s remake of Mind Your Own Business topped the Billboard country chart in 1986, with help from Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire and Reverend Ike.
Songwriter Kent Robbins died in 1997. He was involved in a one-car crash in Alabama when he fell asleep at the wheel. Among his credits: The Judds’ Love Is Alive, Gary Allan’s Her Man, Steve Wariner’s Heart Trouble and Trace Adkins’ Every Light In The House.
Guitarist Hank Garland died of a staph infection at Orange Park Medical Center in Florida in 2004. The author of Sugarfoot Rag, the jazz and country musician played on more than 100 hits by Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee and Webb Pierce, among others.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Winfield Scott Moore III was born in Gadsden, TN in 1931. Known as Scotty Moore, he played guitar for Elvis Presley. You can hear his work on essential recordings Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel, Hound Dog and Mystery Train, among others.
Steel guitarist John Hughey was born in Elaine, AR in 1933. A longtime member of Conway Twitty’s band, he also played on hits by Vince Gill, Shania Twain, Elvis Presley, George Strait and Joe Nichols, among others.
Songwriter Darrell Staedtler was born in Llano, TX in 1940. He wrote George Strait’s A Fire I Can’t Put Out and Billy “Crash” Craddock’s I Love The Blues And The Boogie Woogie, plus a pair of 1960s hits by The Wilburn Brothers.
Les Taylor was born in Oneida, KY in 1948. The vocalist/guitarist becomes a key member of Exile, whose harmonic mix of gospel, pop and country yielded more than 10 hit singles from 1983 until his departure for a solo career in 1989.
Stand-up bass player Darrin Vincent was born in MO in 1969. The brother of bluegrass singer Rhonda Vincent, he joined Jamie Dailey to establish Dailey & Vincent, winning the IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year in 2008 and 2009. From the archives, hear Jen & Cody’s interview with Darrin from January 2018 here:
Piney Flats’ very own Fiddlin’ Carson Peters is also celebrating a birthday today. The talented teen has impressed everyone from hometown audiences to legends like Ricky Skaggs. Carson has also had the honor of playing on national TV as a guest on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey, as well as playing with Jimmy Fortune on the floor of the Tennessee State Senate. On March 28, 2014, Carson’s dream of playing on the Grand Ole Opry stage was realized when he was invited by Ricky Skaggs to come perform with him and his band, Kentucky Thunder.
