May 3, 1928
Dave Dudley is born in Spencer, Wisconsin. His gruff vocals back several of the biggest truckin’ records of country music in the 1960s, particularly “Six Days On The Road” and “Truck Drivin’ Son-Of-A-Gun”
May 3, 1947
Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop opens at 720 Commerce Street in Nashville. The event draws a number of artists, including Eddy Arnold, Clyde Moody, Johnny Bond, Lew Childre and Curly Fox & Texas Ruby
May 3, 1952
Kitty Wells records “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” at the Castle Studio in Nashville during her first session for Decca Records
May 3, 1954
Tennessee Ernie Ford makes the first of three guest appearances on “I Love Lucy” as hick relative Uncle Ernie. The plot includes a rendition of “Wabash Cannonball”
May 3, 1958
Police turn the house lights on before the end of a Jerry Lee Lewis concert at the Boston Arena. When a riot erupts, mayor John Hynes bans rock & roll shows from the city. Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly are also on the Alan Freed-promoted bill
May 3, 1968
Singer/songwriter Shane Minor is born in Modesto, California. Signed to Mercury in the late-1990s, he writes Craig Morgan’s “International Harvester,” Cole Swindell’s “Chillin’ It,” Clay Walker’s “Fall” and Diamond Rio’s “Beautiful Mess”
May 3, 1971
Willie Nelson records the original version of “Yesterday’s Wine” at RCA Studio B in Nashville. The song becomes a hit for Merle Haggard & George Jones 11 years later
May 3, 1977
The Oak Ridge Boys record “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” referencing Bob Wills’ “Faded Love” in the process, at Woodland Sound Studio in Nashville. The session marks their first in a new contract with ABC/Dot
May 3, 1978
Barbara Mandrell records “Sleeping Single In A Double Bed” at Woodland Sound in Nashville. One of the musicians signs the time card as “Elmer Fudd”
May 3, 1986
Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park opens in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
May 3, 1993
Conway Twitty records “Rainy Night In Georgia” at The Sound Emporium in Nashville, with Sam Moore, formerly of Sam & Dave. It becomes Twitty’s final recording
May 3, 1994
Garth Brooks wins two honors–Entertainer and Video of the Year–at the 29th Academy Of Country Music awards on NBC, though he’s not in Los Angeles to receive them. His wife, Sandy, gives birth to August Anna that night in Nashville
May 3, 2006
Ricky Van Shelton writes an open letter to his fans announcing he is retiring from the road. Insisting he and wife Bettye are in good health, he says they simply “need to be close to our families” in Virginia
May 3, 2010
Flood waters soak the SoundCheck storage facility in Nashville, damaging or destroying instruments, amplifiers and stage gear owned by Brad Paisley, Toby Keith, Vince Gill and Keith Urban
