SEPTEMBER 29

1895: Clarence Ashley was born in Bristol, VA. The mountain singer became an early recording artist, and the Country Foundation cites his “The Coo-Coo Bird” among country’s 500 greatest singles in the 2003 book “Heartaches By The Number.”

1907: Gene Autry was born in Tioga, TX. Noted for his signature song “Back In The Saddle Again,” he became a recording artist, a movie star and later, the owner of the California Angels baseball team. He joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1969.

1920: Tillman Franks was born in Stamps, AR. Associated with “The Louisiana Hayride,” he managed Slim Whitman, David Houston and Johnny Horton. Franks also co-wrote the country hits “Honky-Tonk Man,” “I’m A One-Woman Man,” “North To Alaska” and “Sink The Bismarck.”

1935: Jerry Lee Lewis was born in Ferriday, LA. The piano-pumping singer, nicknamed “The Killer,” gained early fame for his late-1950s, genre-busting recordings, but shifted into a country-centric career the following decade.

1956: Christian singer/songwriter Bob Carlisle was born in Los Angeles. He wrote Dolly Parton’s “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That” and gained a pop hit as an artist by recording “Butterfly Kisses,” remade in country music by The Raybon Brothers.

1976:  Jerry Lee Lewis was arrested. He was celebrating his birthday by popping off a few rounds on his .357 Magnum at his home in Memphis. Two of those rounds hit bass player Butch Owens square in the chest. Amazingly, Owens survived and “The Killer” was later charged with setting-off a firearm within city limits.

1978: Dolly Parton hosted NBC’s “The Midnight Special,” singing “Heartbreaker,” “Two Doors Down,” “Here You Come Again” and “I Will Always Love You.” Her guests included Crystal Gayle, Anne Murray, Paul McCartney & Wings and Alice Cooper.

1980: Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn recorded “Lovin’ What Your Lovin’ Does To Me” during an afternoon session at Nashville’s Woodland Sound.

1982: Warner Bros. released John Anderson’s “Wild And Blue” album.

1984: Keith Whitley made his debut on the country charts with “Turn Me On To Love.”

1987: RCA released “Christmas Time With The Judds.”

1987: George Strait recorded “Baby Blue” at Nashville’s Sound Stage.

1987: RCA released the Alabama album “Just Us.”

1989: Glenn Frey joined Don Henley onstage in Los Angeles, the first time in eight years the two founding Eagles performed together.

1992: Arista released Pam Tillis’ second album, “Homeward Looking Angel.”

1992: Arista released Radney Foster’s solo debut, “Del Rio, Texas 1959.”

1993: Willie Nelson entered the Country Music Hall Of Fame as CBS aired the 27th annual Country Music Association awards from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

1993: Mark Chesnutt won the CMA Horizon Award.

1993: Country Music Association awards co-host Vince Gill won five trophies: Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year; Song and Album, for “I Still Believe In You“; and Vocal Event, for his role in George Jones’ “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair.”

1997: Guitarist Doc Watson was awarded a National Medal of Arts by president Bill Clinton at a White House event.

2001: Lorrie Morgan married Sammy Kershaw at the Assumption Church in Nashville. The marriage was her fifth, his fourth.

2004: Randy Travis received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2007: Porter Wagoner made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

2007: Josh Turner was officially invited by Roy Clark to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.

2020: Mac Davis died in Nashville several days after undergoing heart bypass surgery. A recording artist, actor and TV host, he earned country hits with “It’s Hard To Be Humble” and “Texas In My Rear View Mirror” and penned hits for Elvis Presley, Bobby Goldsboro and Kenny Rogers & The First Edition.