FEBRUARY 22
1920: Del Wood is born in Nashville, TN. The pianist’s ragtime remake of “Down Yonder” leads to a 1953 induction into the Grand Ole Opry, where she remains until her death in 1989.
1949: Songwriter Dave Hanner is born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania. A member of The Corbin/Hanner Band, he scores his largest successes as a songwriter on Don Williams’ “Lord I Hope This Day Is Good” and The Oak Ridge Boys’ “Beautiful You.”
1956: Elvis Presley opens for Little Jimmy Dickens at City Auditorium in Waycross, Georgia. In the front row: future Byrd Gram Parsons, who goes backstage to collect The King’s autograph.
1962: Patsy Cline lip-synchs “She’s Got You” in her “American Bandstand” debut.
1963: Ray Price records the Willie Nelson-written “Night Life” in a midnight session at Nashville’s Columbia Recording Studios.
1968: Johnny Cash proposes to tour partner June Carter when they perform in London, Ontario. She says yes.
1969: Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs make their final public appearance on the Grand Ole Opry before a nasty split.
1985: Columbia releases Willie Nelson’s “Me & Paul” album.
1986: Hank Williams Jr. plays Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, setting a record for the honky tonk when the night generates sales of 16,000 bottles of beer.
1989: K.T. Oslin’s “Hold Me” takes a pair of honors–Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female–during the 31st annual Grammy awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
1994: More than 20 acts record “Amazing Grace” for the movie “Maverick” at Amy Grant’s home studio with James Garner and Mel Gibson. Among them: Eddie Rabbitt, Billy Dean, Radney Foster, John Michael Montgomery, Faith Hill and Ricky Van Shelton.
1994: Columbia releases Rick Trevino’s self-titled debut album.
1999: Arista releases Brad Paisley’s debut single, “Who Needs Pictures.”
2000: Willie Nelson receives a Grammy award for lifetime achievement in a special ceremony, along with Harry Belafonte, John Lee Hooker, Woody Guthrie and record producer Mitch Miller. Trustees awards also go to producer Phil Spector and record exec Clive Davis.
2016: Country Music Hall of Fame member Sonny James dies at Alive Hospice in Nashville. Following his 1957 #1 single “Young Love,” he became one of country’s most prolific hitmakers of the next 20 years, nabbing 16 #1s in a row from 1967-1971.
