DECEMBER 13
1901: Pioneering record producer Eli Oberstein was born in New York City. He worked with The Delmore Brothers, The Blue Sky Boys, Ernest Tubb, The Monroe Brothers and The Hackberry Ramblers.
1917: Wesley Tuttle was born in Lamar, CO. The guitarist and yodeler worked with Merle Travis and The Sons Of The Pioneers, and contributed to the soundtrack of “Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs” before earning a handful of his own mid-1940s hits.
1925: Songwriter Wayne Walker was born in Quapaw, OK. His credits include: Ray Price’s “I’ve Got A New Heartache,” Patsy Cline’s “Leavin’ On Your Mind,” Mel Tillis’ “Burning Memories” and Jack Greene’s “All The Time,” among others.
1930: Buck White, of The Whites, was born in Oklahoma City. Along with daughters Cheryl and Sharon, he earned bluegrass-inflected hits in the early-1980s with “Hangin’ Around,” “You Put The Blue In Me” and “Give Me Back That Old Familiar Feeling.”
1949: Randy Owen was born in Fort Payne, AL. He became the lead singer for Alabama, whose blend of country and Southern rock yields numerous gold and platinum honors and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1952: Hank Williams performed on “The Louisiana Hayride” in what turns out to be his final appearance on the show.
1954: John Anderson was born in Orlando, FL. Borrowing vocally from Lefty Frizzell, he earned the Country Music Association’s Horizon award in 1983 and nets hits with “Swingin’,” “Money In The Bank” and “Straight Tequila Night.”
1972: George Jones recorded “What’s Your Mama’s Name” at Nashville’s Columbia Studios. The following month, Tanya Tucker cut the definitive version of the song.
1977: Charley Pride recorded “Someone Loves You Honey” and “You Almost Slipped My Mind” in Nashville.
1991: Patty Loveless and Kathy Mattea covered “Someday Soon” as “John Denver’s Montana Skies Christmas” aired on CBS. Clint Black also guests.
1991: Brooks & Dunn’s single, “My Next Broken Heart,” topped the charts.
1994: Garth Brooks released his “best of” album, “The Hits.” It’s since gone on to sell 10-million copies, making it the best-selling country greatest hits record in history.
1995: George Strait’s “Pure Country” soundtrack is certified for shipments of 5 million copies, while his “Strait Out Of The Box” goes double-platinum. MCA labelmate Vince Gill also went triple-platinum with “When Love Finds You.”
2005: The Johnny Cash biopic “Walk The Line” earned multiple nominations in the Golden Globe Awards. Dolly Parton got a nomination for Best Song for “Travelin’ Thru” from “Transamerica,” and Bernie Taupin scored for a “Brokeback Mountain” song performed by Emmylou Harris.
2016: Dolly Parton’s “Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit For The My People Fund” raised $9 million for fire victims in East Tennessee. The lineup includes Chris Stapleton, Jamey Johson, Big & Rich, Reba McEntire, Chris Janson and Chris Young. LoCash sang “I Love This Life,” and Parton sang with Kenny Rogers on “Islands In The Stream.”
