JANUARY 31
1796: Guitar maker C.F. Martin was born in Germany. His instrument found its way into the hands of such acts as Elvis Presley, George Jones, Jimmie Rodgers and Ernest Tubb, among others.
1930: Record producer and keyboard player Al De Lory was born in Hollywood. He produced many of Glen Campbell’s biggest singles, including “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and “Gentle On My Mind.”
1932: Producer Rick Hall was born in Franklin County, AL. Owner of the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, he oversaw hits by The Osmonds, Paul Anka, Mac Davis, Shenandoah, Jerry Reed and Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Band.
1955: Jim Reeves and Abbott Records chief Fabor Robison tangled with a handgun in a Los Angeles recording studio, with Reeves ultimately demanding his release from the label. Nearly three weeks later, Abbott announced Reeves was leaving.
1968: Merle Haggard recorded “The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde,” inspired by the Warren Beatty movie, at the Capitol Recording Studio in Hollywood.
1979: Porter Wagoner debuted a new disco sound with a performance at Nashville’s Exit/In. The Tennessean says the show is “about as disco as Goo Goo Clusters.”
1970: Tom T. Hall appeard at #1 on the Billboard country chart for the first time with “A Week In A Country Jail.”
1979: MCA agrees to buy ABC Records. As a result, Barbara Mandrell, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Conlee and Don Williams find themselves on a different record label.
1989: RCA releases Baillie & The Boys’ “Turn The Tide” album.
1991: Shenandoah filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing “insurmountable debts” from legal costs involving the band’s name. Groups claiming the same name surfaced in Kentucky, Nevada and Massachusetts.
1993: Garth Brooks performed the national anthem during a pre-game show, which also featured Tanya Tucker, Billy Burnette, and Fleetwood Mac at the Super Bowl XXVII.
1997: Tim McGraw’s album “Not A Moment Too Soon” was certified quintuple-platinum.
2006: The Johnny Cash biopic “Walk The Line” with Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon received five Oscar nominations, including Best Actor and Actress.
2018: Brad Paisley delivered a surprise pop-up concert at the Sleep Number store in the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. The set included “Today,” “Celebrity,” “Alcohol,” “Mud On The Tires” and “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song).”