JULY 16
1953: Singer/songwriter Nanci Griffith was born in Seguin, TX. Primarily a folk artist, she wrote the Kathy Mattea country hit “Love At The Five & Dime” and Suzy Bogguss’ single “Outbound Plane.”
1964: Connie Smith recorded “Once A Day” during an afternoon at Nashville’s RCA Studio B.
1969: Merle Haggard recorded the original version of “The Seashores Of Old Mexico” at the Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood.
1970: Kris Kristofferson recorded “Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)” at Nashville’s Monument Studios during sessions for the album “The Silver Tongued Devil And I.” The song reached hit status for Tompall & The Glaser Brothers in 1981.
1974: Dolly Parton recorded “Love Is Like A Butterfly” at Nashville’s RCA Studio B.
1977: Ronnie Milsap collected a #1 country single in Billboard magazine with “It Was Almost Like A Song.”
1982: Kenny Rogers made his film debut in the movie “Six Pack.” The picture’s music includes his single “Love Will Turn You Around” and a song by Crystal Gayle.
1983: Alabama posted a #1 single on the Billboard country chart with “The Closer You Get.”
1984: Randy Travis sang one of his future hits on national TV for the first time, performing “I Told You So” on TNN’s “Nashville Now.”
1993: Rodney Crowell and Rosanne Cash held a garage sale, billed in Nashville classified ads as a “country music star’s divorce sale.”
2005: The late Chris LeDoux was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Colorado Springs, CO.
2012: Kitty Wells died at her home in Madison, TN, following a stroke. She set the stage for women in country music following her 1952 signature hit, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” She joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976.