MAY 9

1914: Hank Snow was born in a Canadian fishing village, Brooklyn, Nova Scotia. The future Grand Ole Opry star and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame earned more than 40 hit records from 1949-1974, including “I’m Moving On,” “I’ve Been Everywhere” and “Hello Love.” Hank Snow was instrumental in introducing the world to Elvis Presley.

1928: The Carter Family recorded its theme song, “Keep On The Sunny Side,” plus “Little Darling, Pal Of Mine” and “Anchored In Love” at the Victor Studio in Camden, New Jersey.

1968: Merle Haggard recorded “Mama Tried” at the Capitol Recording Studio in Hollywood. Glen Campbell joined the band on the session.

1970: Lynyrd Skynyrd played “Free Bird” live for the first time at the opening of the Jacksonville Art Museum. 

1979: Elektra released Eddie Rabbitt’s “Loveline” album

1989: Keith Whitley died from alcohol poisoning at his home in Nashville. The rich-voiced husband of Lorrie Morgan was on a career upswing behind the singles “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “When You Say Nothing At All” and “I’m No Stranger To The Rain.“

2005: A barefoot Kenny Chesney married actress Renee Zellweger in the Virgin Islands. Zellweger filed for an annulment four months later claiming “fraud.” While the gossip columns went nuts, Chesney later explained that the term was simply a legal technicality.

2008: Alabama filed a $202,670 lawsuit against drummer Mark Herndon in DeKalb County. The band claimed Herndon was overpaid for merchandising royalties on the group’s 2003 farewell tour.

2010: Blake Shelton proposed to Miranda Lambert in the woods near her home in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. They married in 2011…and surprised the world when they announced they were divorced in 2015.

2016: The Library of Congress announced the establishment of the Marty Stuart Collection, which was made up of hundreds of hours of audio-visual material amassed by Stuart. Included is footage from the Grand Ole Opry, “The Johnny Cash Show” and “The Marty Stuart Show,” plus home movies of Lester Flatt’s band.