JUNE 29
1919: Actor Louis Lindley Jr. was born in Kingsburg, CA. As Slim Pickens, he appeared in numerous 1950s westerns as a sidekick of Rex Allen. He also worked alongside Kris Kristofferson and has a part in Willie Nelson’s film “Honeysuckle Rose.”
1924: T. Tommy Cutrer was born in Osyka, MS. He served as a Grand Ole Opry announcer during a 10-year stint that ended in 1964. After that, he worked as the announcer on ABC-TV’s “The Johnny Cash Show.”
1961: “The Ford Show,” an NBC variety program starring Tennessee Ernie Ford and Molly Bee, ended its run in prime time.
1968: Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” was wedded to the #1 position on the Billboard country singles chart.
1974: Mickey Gilley went to #1 on the Billboard country chart for the first time with “Room Full Of Roses.”
1976: Tammy Wynette recorded “You And Me.”
1977: Jerry Reed recorded the single version of “East Bound And Down,” originally made for the movie “Smokey & The Bandit.”
1977: Janie Fricke held her first recording session as a solo artist. Among the songs she cut at Nashville’s Columbia Studio B: the Kenny Rogers-penned “Sweet Music Man.”
1987: Columbia released Rosanne Cash’s “King’s Record Shop,” named for a music store on West Jefferson Street in Louisville. The store was owned by Gene King, brother of Country Music Hall Of Famer Pee Wee King.
1988: Capitol released Dan Seals’ album “Rage On.”
1990: Epic released Waylon Jennings’ album “The Eagle.”
1999: Fiddler Randy Howard died from cancer at his home in Nashville. He worked with the likes of George Jones, Chet Atkins, Garth Brooks and Tammy Wynette.
2008: Tom T. Hall and The Statler Brothers were officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame during a medallion ceremony at the museum’s Ford Theater.