OCTOBER 30
1908: Patsy Montana was born in Hope, AR. She records the first million-selling country single by a female, “I Wanna Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” and entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996.
1912: Record producer and Capitol executive Lee Gillette was born in Indianapolis, IN. He produced hits for Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jimmy Wakely, Leon Payne and Hank Thompson while overseeing the label’s country productions from 1944-1950.
1937: Johnny Wright married Kitty Wells in Franklin, KY. Given that the event occurred Halloween Eve, Wright frequently told friends: “Kitty didn’t know whether she got tricked or treated–maybe she got spooked.”
1942: Acuff-Rose Music Publishing was founded in Nashville on a handshake by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose. The first music publisher in the city, Acuff-Rose handled copyrights for Hank Williams, Roy Orbison and Don Gibson, among others.
1954: T. Graham Brown was born in Atlanta, GA. Infusing country with a blue-eyed soul style, Brown found favor in the late-1980s with such hits as “Don’t Go To Strangers,” “Darlene” and “Hell And High Water.”
1956: Sonny James recorded “Young Love” and its B side, “You’re The Reason I’m In Love,” at the Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville.
1965: Ronnie Milsap married his wife, Joyce.
1967: Capitol released Merle Haggard’s “Sing Me Back Home.”
1968: “Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison” was certified gold, becoming the first live country album to earn that distinction.
1973: Tammy Wynette recorded “Another Lonely Song.”
1981: Ricky Skaggs recorded “Heartbroke.”
1985: RCA released The Judds’ “Rockin’ With The Rhythm” album.
1990: Reprise released Dwight Yoakam’s “If There Was A Way” album.
1996: Shania Twain’s self-titled album was certified gold.
2000: The Gospel Music Hall of Fame inducted The Oak Ridge Boys, who started their career as a gospel quartet before becoming one of country music’s most successful vocal groups in the 1970s and ’80s.
2007: Eagles Recording Company II releases The Eagles album “Long Road Out Of Eden,” the band’s first completely new studio album in 28 years.
2008: Alan Jackson was honored as “CMT Giants” was shot in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Aiding in the tribute were George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and Lee Ann Womack.
2016: Songwriter Curly Putman died in Tennessee. He authored Porter Wagoner’s “Green, Green Grass Of Home,” Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” and George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”