Floods hit the state of Arkansas in 1937, where more than 2,700 people were forced to evacuate their homes, including the family of Johnny Cash in Dyess. The event inspired Cash to write the 1959 hit Five Feet High And Rising.
Elvis Presley accepted an award in person the only time in his life in 1971. He was named one of the 10 Outstanding Young Men in America by the Jaycees. United Nations ambassador George Bush gave the event’s keynote speech at a Memphis Holiday Inn.
Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn each won twice at the fifth annual American Music Awards in 1978, tying them with Stevie Wonder and Fleetwood Mac for top honors. Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers also won trophies on the show, co-hosted by Glen Campbell.
Harper Valley P.T.A. debuted on NBC-TV in 1981, built around Jeannie C. Riley’s hit with Barbara Eden in the starring role. In the first episode, Stella was kicked off a carnival committee for an alleged affair with the mayor, portrayed by George Gobel.
Wynonna and Naomi hosted their first television special in 1989. CBS-TV’s The Judds: Across The Heartland featured special guest Gary Morris. Judd songs include Girls Night Out, Have Mercy, I Know Where I’m Going and Why Not Me.
Tom T. Hall’s wife, Dixie Hall, died in 2015. A loving partner to Tom T. in every sense of the word, she was successful on her own too. She wrote Dave Dudley’s 1965 country hit Truck Drivin’ Son-Of-A-Gun.
RECORDED ON JANUARY 16th
1973: Two months after he first attempted the song, Johnny Rodriguez recorded You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me). That same day Merle Haggard was at Columbia Studio B in Nashville recording If We Make It Through December.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Songwriter Irving Mills was born in New York in 1894. In addition to the jazz classics Mood Indigo and It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), he wrote Hank Williams’ breakthrough hit, Lovesick Blues.
Roy Lanham WAs born in Corbin, KY in 1923. A member of The Sons Of The Pioneers for two decades, he played guitar on such hits as Loretta Lynn’s I’m A Honky Tonk Girl, Ned Miller’s From A Jack To A King and Roy Rogers & Dale Evans’ Happy Trails.
Ronnie Milsap was born in Robbinsville, NC in 1943. The blind keyboard player emerged as one of country music’s most innovative performers, offsetting traditional fare with pop crossovers. So far, Ronnie Milsap has won six Grammy awards and the CMA’s Entertainer honor in 1977. He entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2014. You can see Ronnie Milsap perform at The Paramount in Bristol in December. For more information and to get tickets, click here.
Jim Stafford was born in Eloise, FL in 1944. Though associated with country, his biggest records are pop novelty hits: Spiders & Snakes, My Girl Bill and Wildwood Weed. He played with Gram Parsons in a band, The Legends, during his youth.
Sandy Pinkard was born in Abbeville, LA in 1947. He made a mark in the satirical duo Pinkard & Bowden and has written several country hits: Blessed Are The Believers, You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma and I Can Tell By The Way You Dance.
