A performance rights organization, BMI, was founded in 1940 to compete with ASCAP. Short for Broadcast Music, Inc., BMI collects and distributes royalties to songwriters for the public performance of their works
Ray Charles recorded I Can’t Stop Loving You, Born To Lose and You Don’t Know Me for his album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music at United Studios in Los Angeles in 1962.
Earl Scruggs, Marty Robbins, Stringbean, Waylon Jennings, The Carter Family and Tex Ritter appeared on the ABC special Anatomy Of Pop: The Music Explosion in 1966. Also featured: Tony Bennett, The Supremes, Richard Rodgers and Peter, Paul & Mary.
RCA released An Evening With John Denver
T.G. Sheppard collected his first #1 country single in Billboard magazine with Devil In The Bottle in 1975.
Crystal Gayle became the first country-based female artist to receive a platinum album, for We Must Believe In Magic in 1978.
Willie Nelson won two trophies during the 21st annual Grammy Awards in 1979. Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, for Georgia On My Mind; and Best Country Vocal Duo or Group–shared with Waylon Jennings–for Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
The Statler Brothers recorded Elizabeth and Oh Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely) during the afternoon at the Sound Stage Studios in Nashville in 1983.
Columbia released Ricky Van Shelton’s debut album, Wild-Eyed Dream in 1987.
George Strait recorded Love Without End, Amen at Nashville’s Emerald Sound Studios in 1990.
What She’s Doing Now lead Garth Brooks to a four-week stay at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart in 1992.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Wally Fowler, the founder of The Oak Ridge Boys, was born near Adairsville, GA in 1917. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1945, but turned almost strictly to gospel music when The Oak Ridge Quartet took off in 1947.
Hank Locklin was born in McLellan, FL in 1918. A 1960 addition to the Grand Ole Opry, he earned 10 Top 10 hits from 1949-1967, led by Please Help Me, I’m Falling.
