JULY 9

1890: Songwriter Hy Heath was born in Oakville, TN. His credits include Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Mule Train,” Ray Price’s “Run Boy,” Louis Jordan’s “Deacon Jones” and Hank Williams’ “Take These Chains From My Heart.”

1907: Eddie Dean was born in Posey, TX. The singing cowboy was a pioneering western film star. He also wrote Jimmy Wakely’s “One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)” and Tex Ritter’s “I Dreamed Of A Hill-billy Heaven.”

1929: Mandolin player Jesse McReynolds was born in Carfax, VA. He joined his brother to form Jim & Jesse, a bluegrass act that began recording in 1951 and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1964.

1950: Songwriter Mark D. Sanders was born in Los Angeles. Among the hits he authored are George Strait’s “Blue Clear Sky,” Lonestar’s “No News,” Jo Dee Messina’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California” and Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance.”

1952: June Carter married Carl Smith at his sister’s house in Alcoa, TN.

1953: David Ball was born in Rock Hill, SC. He scored one of 1994’s biggest hits with his semi-novelty “Thinkin’ Problem,” returning to hitmaker status in 2001 with “Riding With Private Malone.”

1954: Elvis Presley recorded Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” at the Sun Recording Studio in Memphis.

1963: Waylon Jennings signed a recording contract with A&M Records. Herb Alpert produced the first single under the deal: “Love Denied” backed with a remake of the Buddy Holly song “Rave On.”

1973: MCA released Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn’s duet album “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man.”

1981: Merle Haggard recorded “Big City” and “Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver)” at Britannia Studios in Hollywood.

1983: Ricky Skaggs rode to #1 in Billboard with “Highway 40 Blues.”

1986: Alabama recorded “You’ve Got The Touch.”

1991: Roy Acuff was one of 12 recipients of the National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony hosted by President George Bush.

1996: Curb released LeAnn Rimes’ debut album, “Blue.”