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Country Music History – October 11

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OCTOBER 11

1925: Jimmy Murphy was born in Republic, AL. His 1950s recording of “Electricity” is considered one of country’s 500 greatest singles in the Country Music Foundation’s 2003 book “Heartaches By The Number.”

1932: Dorothy Marsh was born in McMinnville, TN. As Dottie West, she joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1964, building a lengthy career around several Kenny Rogers duets and her trademarks “Country Sunshine” and “A Lesson In Leavin’.”

1943: Gene Watson was born in Palestine, TX. Using a relaxed vocal style, he became an admired traditional-country stylist, fashioning such 1970s and ’80s successes as “Love In The Hot Afternoon,” “Farewell Party” and “Fourteen Carat Mind.”

1953: Paulette Carlson was born in Northfield, MN. She became the sassy lead vocalist for Highway 101, essential on such hits as “The Bed You Made For Me,” “Somewhere Tonight” and “Cry, Cry, Cry.”

1967: Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton recorded “The Last Thing On My Mind.”

1976: Kitty Wells and producer Paul Cohen joined the Country Music Hall of Fame during the 10th annual Country Music Association awards at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.

1976: The “Outlaws” album dominated at the 10th Country Music Association awards, as Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson won three trophies in tandem. “The Outlaws” earned Album of the Year, “Good Hearted Woman” won Single of the Year, and Jennings and Nelson took Vocal Duo.

1978: ABC released John Conlee’s debut album, “Rose Colored Glasses.”

1981: The Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame inducted Bobby Braddock and Ray Whitley. Braddock is noted for George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.” Whitley wrote Gene Autry’s theme song, “Back In The Saddle Again.”

1981: Willie Nelson recorded “Always On My Mind” and “The Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning” at his Pedernales Studio outside of Austin, TX.

1982: Lefty Frizzell, Marty Robbins and music publisher Roy Horton entered the Country Music Hall Of Fame during the 16th annual Country Music Association awards at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

1982: Alabama won three honors–Entertainer, Vocal Group and Instrumental Group of the Year–from the Country Music Association during its 16th annual awards at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

1993: “Christmas Time With The Judds” was certified platinum.

1994: MCA released George Jones’ “The Bradley Barn Sessions,” featuring collaborations with Alan Jackson, Keith Richards, Marty Stuart, Trisha Yearwood, Ricky Skaggs, Mark Chesnutt, Tammy Wynette and Vince Gill, among others.

2014: Ralph Stanley was formally inducted in the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in Cambridge, MA. Others in his class included actor Al Pacino, author John Irving and former secretary of labor Robert Reich.

2015: Rosanne Cash was added to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame during a dinner at the Music City Center. The class also included “Drivin’ My Life Away” songwriter Even Stevens, “Suspicious Minds” author Mark James and “Live Like You Were Dying” composer Craig Wiseman.