Jul 24, 1904
Guy Drake is born in Weir, Kentucky. He earns his only hit record at the age of 65 with his novelty “Welfare Cadilac”
Jul 24, 1922
Songwriter Lawton Williams is born in Troy, Tennessee. He writes Gene Watson’s “Farewell Party,” Bobby Helms’ “Fraulein,” Hank Locklin’s “Geisha Girl” and George Jones’ “Color Of The Blues,” among others
Jul 24, 1936
Songwriter Max D. Barnes is born in Hardscratch, Iowa. His credits include “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes,” by George Jones; “Don’t Take It Away,” by Conway Twitty; “Look At Us,” by Vince Gill; and “Chiseled In Stone,” by Vern Gosdin
Jul 24, 1948
Roy Acuff announces his candidacy for governor of Tennessee
Jul 24, 1957
Pam Tillis is born in Plant City, Florida. The daughter of country singer Mel Tillis, she fashions a career of her own with a series of hits in the 1990s, winning the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist in 1994 and joining the Grand Ole Opry in 2000
Jul 24, 1967
Tommy Duncan dies in San Diego from a heart attack. The former vocalist for Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys delivered such milestone recordings as “Right Or Wrong,” “New San Antonio Rose” and “Roly Poly”
Jul 24, 1970
Eleven-year-old Marty Stuart meets Connie Smith for the first time at a fair in Mississippi. He predicts to his mother he will someday marry the Grand Ole Opry singer. They do, in fact, marry 27 years later
Jul 24, 1984
The body of Loretta Lynn’s oldest son, Jack Benny Lynn, is pulled from the Duck River near Waverly, Tennessee. Lynn apparently drowned while trying to ride his horse across the river
Jul 24, 1985
Kenny Rogers is named the first winner of the Roy Acuff Humanitarian Award by the Country Music Foundation
Jul 24, 1996
BlackHawk’s self-titled debut album is certified double-platinum by the RIAA
Jul 24, 2001
Lost Highway releases “Down From The Mountain,” the soundtrack to a live concert film associated with “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Performers include Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, The Whites, Dan Tyminski, John Hartford and The Cox Family
