JANUARY 9

1927: Artist manager Jack McFadden was born in Sikeston, MO. His clients will included Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Keith Whitley, Lorrie Morgan and Billy Ray Cyrus.

1934: Steel player Jimmy Day was born in Tuscaloosa, AL. He played with the likes of Webb Pierce, Hank Williams and Willie Nelson, appearing on such hits as Ray Price’s “City Lights,” The Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love” and George Jones’ “The Race Is On.”

1940: Session guitarist Billy Sanford was born in Natchitoches, LA. His credits include Freddie Hart’s “Easy Loving,” George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” and Keith Whitley’s “I‘m No Stranger To The Rain.”

1940: Singer/songwriter Al Downing was born in Centralia, OK. He scraped the Top 20 in 1979 with the self-penned “Touch Me (I’ll Be Your Fool Once More),” then watched Tom Jones take it to the Top 5 in 1983.

1950: Hank Williams recorded “Long Gone Lonesome Blues,” “My Son Calls Another Man Daddy,” “Why Should We Try Anymore” and “Why Don’t You Love Me” in his first session using the Original Drifting Cowboys at Nashville’s Castle Studio.

1951: Brenda Gayle Webb, Loretta Lynn’s youngest sister, is born in Paintsville, KY. She adopted the stage name Crystal Gayle, and her pop-influenced country earns a string of hits, including the million-selling “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.”

1955: Jim Reeves made his national television debut on CBS-TV’s “Toast Of The Town.” The variety show was later renamed “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

1960: Without fanfare, Patsy Cline became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

1961: The Johnny Horton classic “North To Alaska” went to #1 in Billboard.

1966: Roger Miller records “Husbands And Wives” and “I’ve Been A Long Time Leavin’ (But I’ll Be A Long Time Gone)” in Nashville.

1968: Loretta Lynn recorded “Fist City” at Bradley’s Barn in Mt. Juliet, TN.

1970: Charley Pride recorded “Wonder Could I Live There Anymore.”

1973: Jerry Reed recorded “Lord, Mr. Ford.”

1978: RCA released the “Waylon & Willie” album.

1981: Ricky Skaggs held the first recording session for “Don’t Get Above Your Raising.”

1989: The Judds appeared on the debut of late-night TV’s “The Pat Sajak Show.”

1989: Sony Music bought Tree Publishing for an estimated $50 million. The catalog includes such titles as “I Fall To Pieces,” “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.”

1996: MCA releases The Mavericks’ “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” with accordion player Flaco Jimenez.