May 20, 1933
Jimmie Rodgers records “Old Pal Of My Heart” and “The Yodeling Ranger” at the Victor Studios in New York during what amounts to his final week of recording. Suffering from tuberculosis, he sings from an easy chair, bolstered by pillows
May 20, 1940
R&B performer Frederick “Shorty” Long is born in Birmingham, Alabama. He plays piano on a number of Elvis Presley recordings, including the session in which the King records “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Hound Dog”
May 20, 1957
Marty Robbins is in fashion: “A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)” takes the #1 spot on the Billboard country singles chart
May 20, 1967
While headed from Houston to southern Louisiana on tour, Ernest Tubb tells Jack Greene it’s time he leaves the Troubadours to work on his solo career
May 20, 1974
Brenda Lee records “Big Four Poster Bed” at Bradley’s Barn in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
May 20, 1980
RCA releases Alabama’s first charted album, “My Home’s In
Alabama”
May 20, 1980
RCA releases Waylon Jennings’ “Music Man” album
May 20, 1981
Mel Tillis performs for president Ronald Reagan and his cabinet at the Sheraton Hotel in Washington, D.C.
May 20, 1989
“Kenny, Dolly & Willie: Something Inside So Strong” airs on NBC. Shot in Houston, the concert special finds all three collaborating on “Two Doors Down,” “Real Love” and “Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys”
May 20, 1991
Clint Black’s bus driver, Brad Thompson, asks Lorrie Morgan to marry him. They tie the knot five months later
May 20, 1994
“Maverick” makes its theater debut, hitting #1 in its first week of release, with cameo appearances by Kathy Mattea, Hal Ketchum, Waylon Jennings, Vince Gill, Janis Gill, Carlene Carter, Reba McEntire and Clint Black
May 20, 1995
Mark Chesnutt’s Cajun-flavored “Gonna Get A Life” goes to #1 in Billboard
May 20, 1997
RCA releases Sara Evans’ debut album, “Three Chords And The Truth”
May 20, 2007
Leslie “Sissy” Fitzgerald dies in a motorcycle accident. Her boss, Alan Jackson, writes “Sissy’s Song” for the funeral
