DECEMBER 19
1908: The Grand Ole Opry’s Bill Carlisle was born in Wakefield, KY. Along with brother Cliff, he formed The Carlisles, and their mix of music and humor led to six Top 10 hits, including “Too Old To Cut The Mustard” and the #1 single “No Help Wanted.”
1920: Little Jimmy Dickens was born in Bolt, WV. Just 4′-11″, he stood tall at the Grand Ole Opry, where, in 1948, he began a membership of more than 50 years. He mixed country novelties with ballads on his way into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1945: John McEuen was born in Oakland, CA. The multi-instrumentalist joined The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1968, remaining with the group through its shift from folk and pop into country music in the 1980s.
1947: Janie Fricke was born in South Whitney, IN. A successful background vocalist and jingle singer, she was persuaded in the late-1970s to pursue a solo career, which peaked in 1982 and ’83 as she won the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist trophy.
1952: Hank Williams gave his final public performance at Austin’s Skyline Club, attended by Justin Tubb. Williams admitted to Tubb that the “walking the floor” line in “Your Cheatin’ Heart” was inspired by Ernest Tubb’s “Walking The Floor Over You.”
1955: Carl Perkins recorded “Blue Suede Shoes” at the Sun Recording Studios in Memphis.
1970: Loretta Lynn reached #1 on the Billboard country chart with “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
1980: Dolly Parton’s first movie, “9 To 5,” debuted. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin co-starred in the picture, buoyed by a title song written and performed by Parton.
1981: Steve Wariner notched his first #1 country single with “All Roads Lead To You.”
1985: Johnny Paycheck shot Larry Wise at the North High Lounge in Hillsboro, OH, after Wise asked if he’d ever eaten turtle meat.
1987: A St. Louis judge threw out a suit filed by an inmate who claimed his rights were being violated because a security officer wouldn’t let him listen to a country station.
1992: Alan Jackson scored a #1 country single in Billboard with “She’s Got The Rhythm (And I Got The Blues),” co-written by Randy Travis.
1994: Travis Tritt was riding high as his “Ten Feet Tall And Bulletproof” album went platinum.
1994: Reba McEntire’s “It’s Your Call” album went triple-platinum.
2000: Roebuck “Pops” Staples died in Chicago. He headed The Staple Singers, who joined Marty Stuart to sing “The Weight” on the album “Rhythm Country & Blues.” They also preceded The Oak Ridge Boys in recording “Touch A Hand, Make A Friend.”
2000: Faith Hill was among the picks for “Entertainment Weekly” magazine’s “Best of 2000” list.
2001: Gold certifications were awarded to George Strait for his album, “The Road Less Traveled,” Reba McEntire for her “Greatest Hits Volume III: I’m A Survivor” album and to Lee Ann Womack for her single, “I Hope You Dance.”
2001: Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” became the fastest-rising single in four years to reach the #1 spot on both the “Radio & Records” and “Billboard” country charts. The song, which Jackson debuted the previous month during the 2001 CMA Awards, climbed to the peak position in only six weeks. The last tune to hit #1 that fast was Garth Brooks’ 1997 single, “Longneck Bottle.” This isn’t the only time Alan had a song top the charts so quickly. He also did it in 1994 with “Summertime Blues.”
2019: John Prine was a 2020 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, along with Isaac Hayes, Chicago and Roberta Flack. Former MGM president Frank Walker, who signed Hank Williams to a recording deal, was named a Trustees Award recipient.
2019: Jerry Lee Lewis was recognized with a Mississippi Country Music Trail marker, placed at his ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi. On hand for the event are Marty Stuart, Steve Azar and Connie Smith.
