Jul 12, 1942
Singer/songwriter Steve Young is born in Newnan, Georgia. He lands songs with Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr. and The Eagles, who score a minor hit with his “Seven Bridges Road”
Jul 12, 1952
Keyboard player Randy McCormick is born in Rogersville, Alabama. He co-writes Eddie Rabbitt’s “Suspicions” and Conway Twitty’s “Crazy In Love,” and plays on singles by George Strait, Ricky Van Shelton and Kenny Chesney, among others
Jul 12, 1954
Guitarist Scotty Moore becomes Elvis Presley’s first manager
Jul 12, 1959
Earl Scruggs performs at the first Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island using Hylo Brown & The Timberliners as his backing group
Jul 12, 1960
Floyd Cramer records “Last Date” at RCA Studio B in Nashville
Jul 12, 1960
Marty Robbins records “Don’t Worry” in an afternoon session at Nashville’s Bradley Film & Recording Studio
Jul 12, 1966
The Wilburn Brothers record “Hurt Her Once For Me”
Jul 12, 1967
“That Tennessee Beat” debuts in movie theaters with Merle Travis, The Statler Brothers, Minnie Pearl, Floyd “Lightnin"” Chance, Pete Drake, Buddy Mize, Boots Randolph and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers
Jul 12, 1970
Ryan Murphey is born. The son of singer/songwriter Michael Martin Murphey and Diana Murphey, he joins his father on the 1988 single “Talkin’ To The Wrong Man”
Jul 12, 1971
Linda Ronstadt performs at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, with a backing band featuring Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. It marks the first time that the group that will become The Eagles plays together
Jul 12, 1972
Tom T. Hall records “(Old Dogs-Children And) Watermelon Wine” around noon at Mercury Custom Recording Studio in Nashville
Jul 12, 1977
The Oak Ridge Boys record “You’re The One” during an afternoon session at Nashville’s Woodland Sound
Jul 12, 1980
Charley Pride’s remake of Hank Williams’ “You Win Again” appears at #1 on the Billboard country chart
Jul 12, 1982
Filming begins in Nashville for the CBS movie “Country Gold.” In the cast: Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, The Bellamy Brothers, Mel Tillis, Stella Parton, Boxcar Willie, Lynn Anderson, Ralph Emery and songwriters Keith Stegall and Gerry House
Jul 12, 1988
A judge awards Mickey Gilley $17 million after Gilley sued ex-manager Sherwood Cryer to have his name removed from Gilley’s in Pasadena, Texas. Gilley maintains Cryer had allowed the club, associated with the movie “Urban Cowboy,” to go to seed
Jul 12, 1988
Warner Bros. releases Randy Travis’ “Old 8 x 10” album
Jul 12, 1993
Kenny Chesney begins recording his first album
Jul 12, 1994
Keyboard player Brady Seals makes his last appearance as a member of Little Texas in Charlotte, Michigan
Jul 12, 1998
Songwriter Jimmy Driftwood dies of heart failure at a hospital in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Briefly a member of the Grand Ole Opry, he is best remembered for writing Johnny Horton’s “The Battle Of New Orleans” and Eddy Arnold’s “Tennessee Stud”
Jul 12, 2019
Russell Smith dies of cancer at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee. He sang lead for The Amazing Rhythm Aces and wrote their signature hit, “Third Rate Romance.” He also penned Randy Travis’ “Look Heart, No Hands,” Don Williams’ “Heartbeat In The Darkness” and Ricky Van Shelton’s “Keep It Between The Lines”
