SEPTEMBER 15
1903: Roy Acuff was born in Maynardville, TN. Proclaimed the King of Country Music, he became synonymous with the Grand Ole Opry following his 1938 debut. In 1962, he became the first living inductee in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1928: Songwriter Tommy Faile was born in Lancaster, SC. He penned Red Sovine’s “Phantom 309.”
1930: Hoagy Carmichael recorded the original version of “Georgia On My Mind” at the Victor Studios in New York, with Jimmy Dorsey in his backing band. The song was destined to become a Willie Nelson hit in 1978.
1959: Wynn Stewart recorded “Wishful Thinking” at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.
1978: George Jones fired a pistol at songwriter Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery in Florence, AL. He was charged with assault with intent to commit murder.
1978: “Hee Haw Honeys,” a syndicated spinoff of “Hee Haw,” debuted on television. Roy Clark was the first guest.
1979: R&B singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder joined Skeeter Davis on the Grand Ole Opry to perform “Behind Closed Doors.”
1982: The World’s Fair in Knoxville proclaimed Roy Acuff Day.
1987: RCA released Foster & Lloyd’s self-titled debut album.
1992: MCA released George Strait’s “Pure Country” soundtrack.
1992: Warner Bros. released two volumes of Randy Travis’ “Greatest Hits.”
1997: Epic releases Patty Loveless’ duet with George Jones, “You Don’t Seem To Miss Me.”
1998: RCA released “Los Super Seven,” the self-titled album from a Latin supergroup that includes Freddy Fender, Rick Trevino, Joe Ely, Flaco Jimenez, Ruben Ramos and Los Lobos members Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo.
2001: Aaron Tippin initiates two days of recording on “Where The Stars And Stripes And The Eagle Fly.”
2001: Toby Keith’s “I’m Just Talkin’ About Tonight” went #1 on the Billboard country chart.
2003: Former “Nashville Star” contestant Miranda Lambert signed with Epic Records.
2004: A Grammy award that Johnny Cash received for a spoken-word recording was purchased at auction for $187,200 from Sotheby’s in New York.
2019: “Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns” premiered on PBS. Kathy Mattea is the first artist interviewed on camera, followed by such key contributors as Garth Brooks, Merle Haggard, Marty Stuart, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Rosanne Cash, Ketch Secor and Rhiannon Giddens.
