Louise Mandrell held her first recording session as an artist in 1978, cutting three songs for Epic Records at Nashville’s Soundshop Studio.
Willie Nelson’s Always On My Mind won Favorite Album in both the pop and country genres at the American Music Awards in 1983. Kenny Rogers took home two trophies, plus a special Award of Merit. Also winning: Alabama and Barbara Mandrell.
LeAnn Rimes showcased in 1995 at Dallas’ Park Cities Playhouse for record executives Mark Wright and Bruce Hinton, plus manager Narvel Blackstock. The performance earned the 12-year-old a contract offer from Decca, but she ended up signing with Curb Records.
Just two months after leaving jail, where he was successfully treated for narcotics addiction, Steve Earle spent his 40th birthday in a Nashville recording studio, working with Emmylou Harris in 1995.
Garth Brooks was named Artist of the Decade for the ’90s during the American Music Awards at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium in 2000. He also won trophies for Favorite Male Country Artist and Favorite Country Album, for Sevens. Shania Twain nets two.
RECORDED ON JANUARY 17th
1964: Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs recorded Petticoat Junction
1967: Glen Campbell recorded Just To Satisfy You at the Capitol Recording Studio at Hollywood & Vine in Los Angeles. It became a hit for Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson 15 years later.
1972: Conway Twitty records the Floyd Cramer song (Lost Her Love) On Our Last Date with new lyrics at Bradley’s Barn in Mt. Juliet, TN.
1973: George Jones recorded What My Woman Can’t Do during an afternoon session at the Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville.
1983: Waylon Jennings recorded Lucille (You Won’t Do Your Daddy’s Will), written by Little Richard, at Nashville’s Cartee 3 Studios.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Artist manager E.E. “Si” Siman was born in Springfield, MO in 1921. He worked with Brenda Lee and Chet Atkins. His son, Scott Siman, became a record executive and managed Tim McGraw for several years.
Session guitarist Grady Martin was born in Chapel Hill, TN in 1929. The author of Ronnie Milsap’s Snap Your Fingers, Martin backed such acts as Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Elvis Presley and Ray Price, before taking a job with Willie Nelson’s band. Check out a great guitar solo here:
Singer/songwriter Steve Earle was born at the Army hospital in Fort Monroe, VA in 1955. His gritty 1986 album Guitar Town subsequently became an influential signpost for the alt-country movement.
