Jul 23, 1940
Johnny Darrell is born in Hopewell, Alabama. He has country hits in the 1960s with “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town” and “With Pen In Hand”
Jul 23, 1948
Record producer/guitarist Pete Anderson is born in Detroit. Anderson gains acclaim for his work with Dwight Yoakam, producing and playing on such hits as “Honky Tonk Man,” “Little Sister” and “Fast As You”
Jul 23, 1950
“The Gene Autry Show” debuts on CBS-TV, taking Autry, sidekick Pat Buttram and Champion from the big screen to the small screen. “Back In The Saddle Again” serves as the program’s theme song
Jul 23, 1970
Sonny James records Ivory Joe Hunter’s “Empty Arms” at the Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville
Jul 23, 1971
Alison Krauss is born in Decatur, Illinois. The fiddler/vocalist leads the bluegrass group Union Station, joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1993 and winning more Grammy awards than any other woman in history
Jul 23, 1982
Epic releases Mickey Gilley’s album “Put Your Dreams Away”
Jul 23, 1983
“Pancho And Lefty” propels Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard to the top spot on the Billboard country chart
Jul 23, 1988
Vern Gosdin picks up a #1 single in Billboard with a song that celebrates Ernest Tubb, “Set ‘Em Up Joe”
Jul 23, 1994
Alan Jackson hosts a free concert at his house on Center Hill Lake in Tennessee. No tickets are printed, no advertisements paid for. Attendance is strictly word-of-mouth
Jul 23, 1994
Alan Jackson’s remake of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” tops the Billboard country singles chart
Jul 23, 1997
“Strawberry Wine” takes Song of the Year at the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s 30th Songwriter Achievement Awards. Vice Gill wins Songwriter/Artist of the Year for the third time. Mark D. Sanders claims Top Songwriter
Jul 23, 2003
George Jones Country Sausage debuts in grocery stores. The Possum spends the morning giving free samples to shoppers in the aisles at two Kroger outlets in the suburbs of Nashville
