SEPTEMBER 26
1925: Martin Robinson was born in Glendale, AZ. Under the name Marty Robbins, he brought a smooth style and confident swagger to country, mixing pop crossover material, western story songs and country ballads, ultimately landing in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1937: Jerry Weintraub was born in Brooklyn, NY. A long time Elvis Presley associate, he manages John Denver and produces Denver’s first movie “Oh, God!” He also produces George Strait’s first picture, “Pure Country.”
1941: David Frizzell was born in El Dorado, AR. The younger brother of Lefty Frizzell, he added a traditional country element to the genre in the early-1980s on his solo novelty hit “I’m Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home” and on duets with Shelly West.
1947: While spending six months in a Roswell, NM jail, Lefty Frizzell wrote “I Love You A Thousand Ways” for his wife, Alice.
1947: Lynn Anderson was born in Grand Forks, ND. The daughter of songwriters Liz and Casey Anderson, she achieved more than 15 hit singles from 1967-1983 with the million-selling “Rose Garden” emerging as her signature song.
1948: Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England. Raised in Australia, the pop singer began her career with country-tinged recordings, gaining her a Country Music Association award as Female Vocalist of the Year in 1974.
1949: Martin Delray was born in Texarkana, AR. He garnered a minor country hit in 1991 with a remake of Johnny Cash’s “Get Rhythm.”
1953: Less than a year after Hank Williams’ death, Johnny Horton married Williams’ widow, Billie Jean Williams.
1955: Carlene Carter was born in Nashville. The daughter of Carl Smith and June Carter, she developed an edgy brand of country that flirts with rockabilly, debuting in 1977. She attained her biggest commercial success in the early-’90s.
1960: Doug Supernaw was born at St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan, TX. The rough-necked performer had a handful of successful singles in the 1990s, most notably “Reno” and “I Don’t Call Him Daddy.”
1974: Tanya Tucker made the cover of Rolling Stone, with the headline: “Hi, I’m Tanya Tucker, I’m 15, You’re Gonna Hear From Me.”
1977: MCA released Merle Haggard’s “From Graceland To The Promised Land.”
1979: Simon & Schuster published Tammy Wynette’s autobiography, “Stand By Your Man,” co-written by Joan Dew.
1984: Alabama recorded “There’s No Way.”
1989: Warner Bros. released Randy Travis’ “No Holdin’ Back” album.
1989: Warner Bros. released Highway 101’s “Paint The Town” album.
1994: A listener called WKID in Vevay, IN, repeatedly, requesting Tim McGraw’s “Don’t Take The Girl.” When the station failed to play the record, he entered the studio after WKID signed off and set six separate fires.
1995: RCA released Martina McBride’s “Wild Angels” album.
1996: George Strait recorded “One Night At A Time” at Nashville’s Emerald Sound Studios.
2002: Terri Clark’s “I Just Wanna Be Mad” video debuted on CMT.
