MAY 12

1892: The Ryman Auditorium opened for public services as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in downtown Nashville. It would eventually host the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-1974.

1951: Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart” went to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart

1955: Happy Birthday, Kix Brooks! He was born in Shreveport, LA in 1955. Along with performing as one half of the hit-making duo Brooks & Dunn, he also co-wrote hits for John Conlee and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band!

1964: Bobby Bare took home a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording for “Detroit City.”

1984: Crystal Gayle made the cover of TV Guide

1989: Ricky Skaggs sang at Keith Whitley’s funeral in Madison, TN. Pallbearers included: Skaggs, record producer Garth Fundis, Ralph Emery and David Frizzell.

1990: Travis Tritt hit #1 for the very first time with “Help Me Hold On”

1992: RCA released Martina McBride’s debut album, “The Time Has Come.”

1995: Ty Herndon scored his first #1 hit, “What Mattered Most.”

1998: Tracy Byrd released his album, “I’m From the Country.”

2001: Dwight Yoakam’s directorial debut premiered, “South of Heaven, West of Hell,” at the Olympia Theatre in Cannes, France. Dwight also co-wrote the western, which co-stars longtime his love Bridget Fonda, Vince Vaughn, Billy Bob Thornton, Peter Fonda, and Paul “Pee-Wee Herman” Reubens.

2001: Tim McGraw received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Louisiana-Monroe, where he was once a student, but had dropped out to move to Nashville.

2003: Following a three-year split, The Mavericks held a session at Nashville’s Ocean Way Studios, officially marking their reunion as a recording unit.

2012: Alison Krauss and The Eagles received honorary doctorates from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Krauss performs “Down To The River To Pray” during the event.