May 29, 1916
Carl Story is born in Lenoir, North Carolina. The Father of Bluegrass Gospel, he writes “I Overlooked An Orchid,” a hit for Carl Smith and, later, Mickey Gilley
May 29, 1942
Bing Crosby records the Irving Berlin song “White Christmas” for the movie “Holiday Inn” during a morning session in Hollywood. Ernest Tubb resurrects the song as a country holiday hit seven years later
May 29, 1948
Merle Travis receives a guitar he had asked Paul Bigsby to custom-make on his behalf. Featuring Travis’ name in mother of pearl along the base of the pick guard, it becomes his trademark instrument, often referred to as “the Bigsby”
May 29, 1958
Ray Price records the Bill Anderson-penned “City Lights” in the evening at the Bradley Studios in Nashville
May 29, 1962
Jimmy Dean wins Best Country & Western Recording for “Big Bad John” during the fourth annual Grammy Awards
May 29, 1973
MCA releases the Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn recording “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man”
May 29, 1975
The Oak Ridge Boys record “Where The Soul Never Dies” with a studio band that features Charlie Daniels at Nashville’s Superior Studios. The performance earns a Grammy nomination in the gospel field
May 29, 1976
Johnny Cash rides to #1 on the Billboard country chart with “One Piece At A Time”
May 29, 1991
Wynonna Judd begins recording her first solo album in Nashville
May 30, 1992
Billy Ray Cyrus and “Achy Breaky Heart” begin a five-week stay at the top of the Billboard country chart
May 29, 2001
Arista releases Brad Paisley’s “Part II” album
May 29, 2004
George Strait, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett co-headline a date at Texas Stadium in Irving. The three join voices on “Hey, Good Lookin"” and “Margaritaville” as the show becomes an album, “Live At Texas Stadium”
May 29, 2012
Guitarist Doc Watson dies at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after abdominal surgery. A participant in The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s landmark album “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” he won seven Grammy awards during his career
