NOVEMBER 24
1931: Guitarist Tommy Allsup was born in Tulsa, OK. A member of Asleep At The Wheel, The Texas Playboys and Buddy Holly’s Crickets, he played on hits by John Anderson, George Jones, Tanya Tucker and Kenny Rogers, among others.
1933: Steel guitarist Johnny Sibert was born in Indianapolis, IN. As a member of Carl Smith’s band, he appears on most of Smith’s hits, including “It’s A Lovely, Lovely World,” “Loose Talk” and “You’re Free To Go.”
1965: Mandolin player Adam Steffey was born in Norfolk, VA. He joined Alison Krauss’ bluegrass band, Union Station, performing on “When You Say Nothing At All,” before leaving the group in 1998. In late 2009, he helped form the bluegrass band The Boxcars.
1973: “The Most Beautiful Girl” took Charlie Rich to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
1976: “Wanted: The Outlaws“–featuring Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser and Jessi Colter–became the first country album to receive the new platinum certification, signifying one million units shipped.
1977: Emil Dopyera, who invented the Dobro with his brother John, died.
1981: Governor Lamar Alexander recognized Johnny Cash with the Pride of Tennessee Award for his work in battling illiteracy.
1983: Paul Overstreet and Albert Gore (the songwriter–not the politician) wrote the future Randy Travis hit “Diggin’ Up Bones.”
1986: “Million Mile Reflection” album by Charlie Daniels Band was certified double-platinum.
1990: K.T. Oslin copped a #1 country single in Billboard with “Come Next Monday.”
1991: “Hot Country Nights” made its prime-time TV debut on NBC, with Pam Tillis singing “Maybe It Was Memphis” and Doug Stone performing “A Jukebox With A Country Song.” Also guesting: Alabama, Clint Black, Kenny Rogers and K.T. Oslin.
1991: Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the rock group Queen, died of AIDS at home in London. Eight years later, Dwight Yoakam scores a country hit with a remake of his “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” first exposed in commercials for The Gap.
1995: Alan Jackson’s CD, “The Greatest Hits Collection,” was #1 on “Billboard’s” Top Country Albums chart.
1998: Ashland, KY, proclaimed Billy Ray Cyrus Day, presenting the singer with a key to the city. A section of Kentucky Route 693 in nearby Flatwoods was renamed Billy Ray Cyrus Boulevard.
1999: The album, “In…the Life Of Chris Gaines,” by Garth Brooks was certified gold, platinum and double-platinum simultaneously.
2001: Toby Keith’s “I Wanna Talk About Me” grabbed the top spot on the Billboard country singles chart
2002: Before his show in Lexington, KY, Toby Keith was made an Honorary Kentucky Colonel and presented with a certificate that was signed by Kentucky Governor Patton.
2003: Teddy Wilburn died of congestive heart failure at Nashville’s Southern Hills Medical Center. As a member of The Wilburn Brothers, he was part of a hitmaking group, a syndicated country TV show and a publishing house that represented Loretta Lynn.
2011: The latest edition of “CMT Crossroads,” pairing Vince Gill and Sting, had its cable debut. The set list included “Liza Jane,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Whenever You Come Around” and “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away.”
