FEBRUARY 23
1935: Gene Autry has his first starring movie role in the sci-fi western “The Phantom Empire.” With Smiley Burnette co-starring, Autry finds a lost race equipped with laser guns living beneath his ranch. He sings “That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine.”
1940: Woody Guthrie writes “This Land Is Your Land” at Hanover House, a New York City hotel at the corner of 43rd Street and 6th Avenue, using the melody of The Carter Family’s “When The World’s On Fire.”
1957: Porter Wagoner joins the Grand Ole Opry.
1959: Johnny Cash earns a #1 country single in Billboard magazine with “Don’t Take Your Guns To Town.”
1970: RCA presents an award to Eddy Arnold at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel signifying 60,000,000 in record sales.
1973: The Atlanta Constitution quotes Skeeter Davis on the Grand Ole Opry’s imminent move from the Ryman: “It’s the Mother Church of Country Music. It’s almost sacred. I wouldn’t even do a promotion for Opryland, and you can quote me on that.”
1976: Tanya Tucker records “Here’s Some Love.”
1978: “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” claims two honors–Best Country Song, for songwriter Richard Leigh; and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, for Crystal Gayle–during the 20th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
1983: “Always On My Mind” wins three times during the 25th annual Grammy awards in Los Angeles. Songwriters Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher and Mark James earn Song of the Year and Best Country Song; and Willie Nelson takes Best Country Vocal Performance, Male.
1983: Hank Williams’ recording of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” is entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame during the 25th annual Grammy awards in Los Angeles.
1985: Mel McDaniel realizes his only #1 single in Billboard magazine with “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On.”
1991: Billy Ray Cyrus records his salute to Vietnam veterans, “Some Gave All,” at Nashville’s Music Mill the same day the 100-hour ground assault begins in Iraq during the Gulf War.
1993: Arista releases Brooks & Dunn’s “Hard Workin’ Man” album.
1999: Johnny Cash receives a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in Los Angeles, along with Smokey Robinson, songwriters Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Mel Torme, Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff, and Broadway composers Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe.
2000: Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” Faron Young’s “Hello Walls” and The Byrds’ “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” album enter the Grammy Hall of Fame along with such other 1960s recordings as “Unchained Melody” and “My Way.”
2003: Bass player and producer Howie Epstein dies of a suspected heroin overdose in Santa Fe’s St. Vincent Hospital. A 20-year member of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, he produced three country hits for longtime girlfriend Carlene Carter.
