DECEMBER 27
1931: Winfield Scott Moore III was born in Gadsden, TN. Known as Scotty Moore, he played guitar for Elvis Presley, playing on such essential recordings as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog” and “Mystery Train,” among others.
1933: Steel guitarist John Hughey was born in Elaine, AR. 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.
1940: Songwriter Darrell Staedtler was born in Llano, TX. 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.
1947: NBC introduced a children’s TV show titled “Puppet Playhouse.” The program evolved into “Howdy Doody,” name-checked in the lyrics of The Statler Brothers’ 1972 country hit “Do You Remember These.”
1948: Les Taylor was born in Oneida, KY. The vocalist/guitarist became 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.
1948: Guitarist Larry Byrom was born in Huntsville, AL. A prolific session musician, he played on Faith Hill’s “Breathe,” Tim McGraw’s “Angry All The Time,” Shania Twain’s “Any Man Of Mine” and George Strait’s “All My Ex’s Live In Texas,” among others.
1962: Ricochet’s Jeff Bryant was born in Pecos, TX. The drummer has contributed to several hits as the band won the Academy of Country Music’s Top Vocal Group honor in 1996 and 1998, but he left in 1999, suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome.
1969: Stand-up bass player Darrin Vincent was born in MO. 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.
1972: Tommy Overstreet recorded “(Jeannie Marie) You Were A Lady” at RCA Studio B in Nashville.
1977: Dolly Parton earned her first gold album from the RIAA, for “Here You Come Again.”
1978: Bob Luman died in Nashville from pneumonia. 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.
1986: Hank Williams Jr.’s remake of “Mind Your Own Business” topped the Billboard country chart, with help from Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire and Reverend Ike.
1997: Songwriter Kent Robbins died 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.”
2004: Guitarist Hank Garland died of a staph infection at Orange Park Medical Center in Florida. 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.
