OCTOBER 14

1926: Bill Justis was born in Birmingham, AL. Best known for his 1957 instrumental hit “Raunchy,” he arranged Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me” and Kenny Rogers’ “Love The World Away.”

1938: Melba Montgomery was born in Iron City, TN. The hard-edged traditionalist scored a Mothers Day hit in 1974 with “No Charge” and teamed with George Jones in 1963 for “We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds.”

1941: The Carter Family held its final recording session in New York City.

1957: The Everly Brothers scored a #1 country single in Billboard with “Wake Up Little Susie.”

1964: Loretta Lynn recorded “Blue Kentucky Girl” and “Happy Birthday” at the Columbia Recording Studio in Nashville during an evening session.

1967: Tammy Wynette realized her first #1 single in Billboard as a solo artist with “I Don’t Wanna Play House.”

1970: The Original Carter Family and Bill Monroe entered the Country Music Hall Of Fame during the fourth annual Country Music Association awards, hosted by Tennessee Ernie Ford from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on NBC-TV’s “The Kraft Music Hall.”

1970: Merle Haggard won four trophies during the fourth annual Country Music Association awards at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Hag took Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year, while “Okie From Muskogee” won both Single and Album of the Year.

1972: Donna Fargo’s “Funny Face” became Billboard’s #1 country single.

1973: The Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame added Jack Clement (“Ballad Of A Teenage Queen“), Don Gibson (“I Can’t Stop Loving You“), Harlan Howard (“Busted“), Roger Miller, Ed and Steve Nelson (“Bouquet Of Roses“) and Willie Nelson.

1974: The Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines was born in Lubbock, TX. Her feisty lead vocals provided a base for the trio, one of country’s biggest acts from 1997-2003, until her offhand comment about the president derailed the band’s mainstream standing.

1974: Decca record producer Owen Bradley and Pee Wee King entered the Country Music Hall Of Fame during the first Country Music Association awards ceremony held at the Grand Ole Opry House.

1974: “Country Bumpkin” came up a double-winner in the eighth annual Country Music Association awards, the first held at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House. “Bumpkin” brought Single of the Year to Cal Smith and Song of the Year to songwriter Don Wayne.

1985: Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs joined the Country Music Hall Of Fame during the 19th annual Country Music Association awards at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

1985: The Judds, Ricky Skaggs and George Strait took double honors in the 19th annual Country Music Association awards at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House. The Judds claimed Vocal Group of the Year and Single of the Year, for “Why Not Me.”

1986: Ricky Van Shelton recorded “Life Turned Her That Way.”

1989: Clint Black earned a #1 country single in Billboard magazine with “Killin’ Time.”

1994: With Conway Twitty’s estate embroiled in legal bedlam, 2,000 items were auctioned off for $1 million at Twitty City in Hendersonville, TN. Among them: a 1985 Pacer, for $27,500; and a script for the movie “Sex Kittens Go To College,” $1,800.

2003: MCA released Josh Turner’s debut album, “Long Black Train.”

2006: Freddy Fender died of cancer at his home in Corpus Christi, TX. The Tex-Mex singer, who delivered many of his records in Spanglish, had two million-sellers in 1975: “Wasted Days And Wasted Nights” and “Before The Next Teardrop Falls.”

2007: Hank Williams Jr., Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Bob DiPiero (“Blue Clear Sky“), Mac McAnally (“Old Flame“) and Christian artist Dottie Rambo were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame during an event at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

2019: Dwight Yoakam and Larry Gatlin joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame during an event at the Music City Center. The 2019 class also includes composers Rivers Rutherford, Marcus Hummon, Sharon Vaughn and Kostas.