MAY 28

1944: Gary Stewart was born in Letcher County, KY. His raw brand of honky tonk made him a critics’ favorite, though he only earned three mid-’70s hits. They include the #1 record “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles)” 

1957: The Louvin Brothers formally resigned from the Grand Ole Opry to join The Wheeling Jamboree in West Virginia. When they discovered they wouldn’t receive as much pay as they expected at The Jamboree, they decided several weeks later to return to the Opry.

1962: Singer/songwriter Phil Vassar was born in Lynchburg, VA. He built a series of hits as an artist on top of a songwriting resume that includes “Right On The Money,” “I’m Alright,” “Bye Bye,” “Little Red Rodeo” and “My Next Thirty Years.”

1981: Ronnie Milsap recorded “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me” at Nashville’s Groundstar Laboratory.

1981: Columbia released David Allan Coe’s “Tennessee Whiskey.” Two years later, George Jones turned the song into a hit. Chris Stapleton made it a hit again in 2015.

1985: Roy Acuff sold Acuff-Rose Music–including songs written by Hank Williams, Don Gibson, Roy Orbison and The Everly Brothers–to Gaylord Entertainment, which formed the Opryland Music Group.

1989: Billy Ray Cyrus tried to give Charlie Daniels a demo of “Some Gave All” when he opened for the CDB in Beckley, WV. Daniels turned him down.

1994: Tim McGraw collected his first #1 single in Billboard with “Don’t Take The Girl.”

1999: Brad Paisley made his Grand Ole Opry debut.