MARCH 27
1929: Steel guitarist and background singer Don Warden was born in Mount Grove, MO. He appeared on a string of Porter Wagoner hits, including “A Satisfied Mind,” “Misery Loves Company” and “Eat, Drink, And Be Merry (Tomorrow You’ll Cry).”
1936: David Rogers was born in Atlanta, GA. The singer scored two Top 10 hits: 1972’s “Need You” and 1974’s “Loving You Has Changed My Life.”
1940: Janis Martin was born in Sutherlin, VA. She became the first female rockabilly star.
1951: Red Foley recorded “(There’ll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)” in Nashville.
1951: Songwriter Kent Blazy was born in Lexington, KY. He authored Garth Brooks’ “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” Gary Morris’ “Headed For A Heartache” and Chris Young’s “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song),” among others.
1952: Sam Phillips’ Sun Records released its first record, “Blues In My Condition” and “Sellin’ My Stuff” by Jackie Boy and Little Walter. Three years later, the label would spawn such acts as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis.
1958: Sometimes-country singer Sheb Wooley recorded the mammoth pop novelty hit “The Purple People Eater” during the evening at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.
1965: Roger Miller’s “King Of The Road” occupied the #1 position on the Billboard country singles chart.
1968: Willie Nelson recorded “Sweet Memories” with producer Chet Atkins, then waited 11 years for it to become a hit.
1971: Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn shared the top spot on the Billboard country singles chart with “After The Fire Is Gone.”
1972: Columbia released Tanya Tucker’s debut single, “Delta Dawn.”
1974: Fiddler Aubrey Haynie was born in Tampa, FL. He became one of Nashville’s premiere session players, appearing on hits by Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood, among others.
1975: Tom T. Hall recorded “I Like Beer” at Mercury’s Nashville recording studio.
1979: Johnny Cash recorded the western classic “(Ghost) Riders In The Sky” in Nashville at the Jack Clement Studios.
1985: RCA released Restless Heart’s self-titled debut album.
1989: Buck Owens re-recorded “Act Naturally” with Ringo Starr at the historic Abbey Road Studios in London.
1992: A whopping 116 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards were certified for the late Elvis Presley. The windfall included gold singles for “(You’re The) Devil In Disguise,” “Kentucky Rain,” “Blue Christmas,” “A Big Hunk O’ Love” and “If I Can Dream.”
2006: Elvis Presley’s Memphis home, Graceland Mansion, was officially recognized as a national historic landmark.
2018: Ricky Skaggs, Dottie West and fiddler Johnny Gimble were announced as the 2018 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees in a ceremony in the facility’s Rotunda.
