DECEMBER 4

1944: Eddy Arnold held his first recording session at the WSM radio studios in Nashville. He recorded his first hit, “Each Minute Seems A Million Years,” and his first version of “The Cattle Call.”

1944: Chris Hillman was born in Los Angeles. A founder of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, he also started The Desert Rose Band. Lacing breezy harmonies and driving tempos, the group built a string of hits from 1987-1990 but disbanded in 1994.

1956: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis posed for a photo at the Sun studio in Memphis. The foursome conducted an impromptu jam session, which was subsequently dubbed “The Million Dollar Quartet.”

1965: Eddy Arnold netted a #1 country single in Billboard magazine with “Make The World Go Away.”

1968: Hank Williams Jr. recorded “Cajun Baby” in Nashville. The song represents a collaboration between Bocephus and his father, Hank Williams, who had never finished writing it. Junior completed the composition before recording it.

1971: Charley Pride’s biggest hit ascended to #1 on the Billboard country chart: “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’.”

1971: A Congressional hearing on a bill for a folk foundation was held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The event included performances by Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, The McGee Brothers, Jean Shepard and Mac Wiseman.

1974: Dolly Parton recorded “The Bargain Store” during a 10 a.m. session at RCA Studio B in Nashville.

1977: Willie Nelson recorded “September Song.”

1979: Dolly Parton recorded “Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You.”

1981: Lila McCann was born in Puyallup, WA. She broke through in 1997 at age 15, netting a hit with “I Wanna Fall In Love” and a nomination from the Academy of Country Music for Top New Female. Each of her first two albums goes gold.

1982: Barbara Mandrell finished her Las Vegas nightclub debut. Mandrell earned a reported $300,000 per week.

1991: The Judds performed the final show of their Farewell Tour at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, TN.

1999: Billboard magazine honored Emmylou Harris with its Century Award, recognizing distinguished creative achievement.

2003: Ricky Skaggs received five nominations for the annual Grammy Awards, more than any other country artist.