JANUARY 7
1930: Jack Greene was born in Maryville, TN. The “Jolly Green Giant” played drums for Ernest Tubb before a solo career made him a Grand Ole Opry member. “There Goes My Everything” netted him three honors from the Country Music Association in 1967.
1943: Singer/songwriter Leona Williams was born in Vienna, MO. Married to Merle Haggard from 1978-1983, she joined him on a duet, “The Bull And The Beaver,” and wrote his hits “You Take Me For Granted” and “Someday When Things Are Good.”
1948: Kenny Loggins was born in Everett, WA. A cousin of songwriter Dave Loggins, Kenny recorded with country music’s Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and wrote Anne Murray’s country hits “Danny’s Song” and “Love Song.”
1950: Hank Snow became a member of the Grand Ole Opry when he debuted on the show, introduced by Ernest Tubb. Also debuting the same evening: Tennessee Ernie Ford.
1959: David Lee Murphy was born in Herrin, IL. He earned outlaw-influenced hits during the 1990s with “Dust On The Bottle,” “Party Crowd” and “Every Time I Get Around You.” As a songwriter, he penned several hits for other acts, including “Big Green Tractor,” “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” and “Living In Fast Forward.”
1960: Johnny Horton recorded “Sink The Bismarck,” inspired by the movie of the same name, at the Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville during the wee morning hours.
1961: Faron Young recorded “Hello Walls” at the Bradley Film & Recording Studio on Nashville’s Music Row.
1967: Charley Pride became the first African-American solo singer to perform on the Grand Ole Opry, following an introduction from Ernest Tubb. Pride sang “The Snakes Crawl At Night” and “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You).”
1974: Tompall Glaser recorded “Put Another Log On The Fire” in a late-night session at the Glaser Studios in Nashville. The performance was one of his two contributions to the historic “Wanted: The Outlaws” compilation album.
1977: Waylon Jennings recorded “Luckenbach, Texas (Back To The Basics Of Love),” one of just two songs cut during a 10.5-hour overnight session at the American Studios in Nashville. The other song was “Till I Gain Control Again,” a future hit for Crystal Gayle.
1978: Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job And Shove It” worked its way to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
1988: Columbia released Shenandoah’s self-titled debut album.
1998: Record producer Owen Bradley died at Nashville’s Saint Thomas Hospital. Recognized as an architect of the Nashville Sound, he produced classics by Brenda Lee, Conway Twitty, Jack Greene, Ernest Tubb, Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells, among others. Bradley joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974.
1998: Marty Stuart wrote “Same Old Train.” The song went on to win a Grammy award after it was recorded by an entourage that features 13 different artists, including Clint Black, Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs, Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam.
2003: The [Dixie] Chicks and Alan Jackson each received four GRAMMY nominations.
