MARCH 10
1920: Kenneth “Jethro” Burns was born in Conasauga, TN. His comedic duo Homer & Jethro joined the Country Music Hall of Fame after making numerous satirical records, including a conversion of “The Battle Of New Orleans” to “The Battle Of Kookamonga.”
1932: Guitar player Leon Rhodes was born in Dallas, TX. He gained recognition as the longtime lead guitarist with Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubadours, but also played on hits by Waylon Jennings, Moe Bandy and George Strait.
1933: Country TV/radio host Ralph Emery was born in McEwen, TN. After establishing himself as a fixture on Nashville’s WSM Radio, he spent 10 years as the host of TNN’s daily country talk show, “Nashville Now.” He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
1938: Singer/songwriter/musician Norman Blake was born in Chattanooga, TN. An adept folk and acoustic player, he tours as a sideman with Johnny Cash, performing on a number of his hits, including “Understand Your Man” and “What Is Truth.”
1947: Songwriter Alex Harvey was born in Dyersburg, TN. His credits include Tanya Tucker’s “Delta Dawn,” Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Somebody New” and T. Graham Brown’s “Hell And High Water.”
1962: Country Music Hall of Famer Porter Wagoner earned his first #1 single with “Misery Loves Company,” written by Jerry Reed.
1963: The funeral for Patsy Cline drew 25,000 onlookers in Winchester, VA, who watched as her body was driven from Jones Funeral Home to the burial grounds, Shenandoah Memorial Park.
1963: Record producer Rick Rubin was born in Long Beach, NY. After working with such acts as The Beastie Boys and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, he produced Johnny Cash’s latter-day recordings and The [Dixie] Chicks’ album “Taking The Long Way.”
1971: Daryle Singletary was born in Cairo, GA. With a voice compared to Keith Whitley, he notched a number of mid-1990s hits, including “I Let Her Lie” and “Too Much Fun.”
1973: Tammy Wynette topped the Billboard country singles chart with “‘Til I Get It Right.”
1979: Invited by Porter Wagoner, R&B legend James Brown played the Grand Ole Opry, lacing his 17-minute set with the country songs “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “Tennessee Waltz.” Jean Shepard complains; Barbara Mandrell said the appearance is overdue.
1983: Carrie Underwood was born in Muskogee, OK. Her 2005 participation in “American Idol” is a prologue to a career marked by soaring performances, platinum albums and a ream of Female Vocalist honors.
1986: MCA released the Waylon Jennings album “Will The Wolf Survive.”
1987: The Oak Ridge Boys asked William Lee Golden to leave the group.
1990: Patty Loveless’ “Chains” wrapeds up the #1 slot on the Billboard country singles chart.
1991: Randy Travis sang “Point Of Light” live for the first time for president George Bush at Ford’s Theatre in Washington. Also appearing: Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alan Jackson, Ricky Skaggs, Clint Black, Tammy Wynette, Alabama, K.T. Oslin and The Statlers.
1994: Clint Black was named Songwriter/Artist of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association, while Dennis Linde is Songwriter; and “The Song Remembers When” is Song of the Year.
1995: Collin Raye recorded “One Boy, One Girl” in Nashville.
2000: Vince Gill married Amy Grant in Nashville, with about 75 people in attendance. Grant took her vows barefoot.
2008: Guitarist Barry “Byrd” Burton died of leukemia at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. A former member of The Amazing Rhythm Aces, he played on “Third Rate Romance” and the Don Williams hit “Tulsa Time,” among others.
