On This Week In Country Music April 1 - April 7

On This Week In Country Music April 1 - April 7

Key facts, birthdays and deaths in a week of Country music history

1 April - On This Day in Country Music

1989 - George Strait commands the #1 position on the Billboard country chart with "Baby's Gotten Good At Goodbye” >> YouTube.

It was written by Tony Martin and Troy Martin and released on December 26, 1988 by MCA as the first single from the album BEYOND THE BLUE NEON

2006 - Eric Church makes his Grand Ole Opry debut. Church performs his debut single, "How 'Bout You," then segues into the Leadbelly song "Black Betty"

 

2012 - Miranda Lambert is a double-winner in the 47th annual Academy of Country Music awards, taking Female Vocalist and Album of the Year, for "Four The Record," during the CBS telecast from Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena 

2012 - Ronan Keating, writer of the Brooks & Dunn hit "The Long Goodbye," announces on Twitter that he and his wife, Yvonne, have split after 14 years of marriage 

Birthdays

Jim Ed Brown (1934), born in Sparkman, Arkansas. After coming to prominence with his two sisters in The Browns, he launches a solo career that nets a classic in 1967 with "Pop A Top," then strings together seven Top 10 duets with Helen Cornelius

Billy Dean (1962), born in Quincy, Florida. He tells people his birthday is April 2nd, so they won't think of him as an April Fool. He nets a series of smooth hits in the 1990s, including "Somewhere In My Broken Heart," "Billy The Kid" and "Only The Wind" 

Hillary Scott (1984), born in Nashville. The daughter of Linda Davis, she becomes the female voice in Lady Antebellum, a harmony-based trio noted for such hits as "Need You Now," "I Run To You," "Downtown" and "American Honey" 

 

2 April - On This Day in Country Music

1977 - "Lucille" brings Kenny Rogers his first #1 country single in Billboard magazine. It was written by Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum and released by United Artists on January 24, 1977 as the second and final single from the album KENNY ROGERS. It reached the top of the UK singles chart in June 1977, the first of Rogers' two UK number one singles.

1994 - Little Texas tops the Billboard country chart for the first time with "My Love” . It was written by    Porter Howell, Brady Seals and Tommy Barnes and released by Warner Bros. On January 13, 1994 as the third single from the album, BIG TIME. The song featured lead vocals from Brady Seals, then the band's keyboard player.

2002 - Elton John and Ryan Adams perform together at a studio in the back of the Grand Ole Opry House, a taping for "CMT Crossroads." Among their collaborations are duets on Jim Reeves' "He'll Have To Go" and Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls Of Fire" 

2006 - Brad Paisley sings "When I Get Where I'm Going" during the funeral for Buck Owens at the Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield. Also on hand are Dwight Yoakam, Garth Brooks, Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, Lulu Roman, John Berry and Trace Adkins 

2012 - CBS shoots "ACM Presents: Lionel Richie And Friends--In Concert" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with guests Martina McBride, Kenny Rogers, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum and The Band Perry

2012 - Trisha Yearwood plays a concert benefiting a Paul Newman charity at Lincoln Center in New York. She shares the bill with Paul Simon, Josh Groban, Jimmy Fallon and Jake Gyllenhaal   

Birthdays

Emmylou Harris (1947), born in Birmingham, Alabama. After attaining commercial success, she edges into what becomes an alt.country career, gaining numerous Grammy awards and a 2008 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame 

Buddy Jewell (1961), born in Osceola, Arkansas. After singing on demos for a number of years in Music City, he wins the first "Nashville Star" TV competition in 2003, leading to a recording contract and a gold album  

1956 - Johnny Cash records "I Walk The Line" and "Get Rhythm" at the Sun Recording Studio in Memphis

Jill King (1975), born in Arab, Alabama,  is an American country music artist. A graduate of Vanderbilt University she spent several years in Nashville, Tennessee, before being discovered at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. In 2003, she released her debut album, JILLBILLY, on the independent Blue Diamond label.

Singles “98.6 Degrees and Falling" and “One Mississippi"charted at  #56 and #60 on Hot Country Singles chart

3 April - On This Day in Country Music

1975 - Emmylou Harris played her first concert with The Hot Band

1982 - The Oak Ridge Boys storm the #1 spot in Billboard with "Bobbie Sue” . It was written by Wood Newton, Dan Tyler and Adele Tyler and released by MCA on January 18, 1982 as first single and title cut.

2002 - Brad Paisley receives the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter/Artist of the Year award

2004 - Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker hoist "When The Sun Goes Down" to #1 on the Billboard chart.

It was written by Brett James and released by BNA on February 2, 2004 as the second single and title track from Chesney's album.  It was Uncle Kracker's first appearance on the country music charts, his next one being “Smile” which debuted at #57 on the week of November 7, 2009 and peaked at No.6. 

2011 - Miranda Lambert wins four trophies during the 46th annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. She nabs Top Female Vocalist, while "The House That Built Me" leads to Single Record, Song and Video of the Year 

Birthdays

Don Gibson (1928), Singer-songwriter is born in Shelby, North Carolina. He writes and records several classic hits--including "Sweet Dreams," "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Oh Lonesome Me"--earning a 2001 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame

Billy Joe Royal (1942),  born in Valdosta, Georgia. Best-known for his pop hits "Down In The Boondocks" and "Cherry Hill Park," he crafts a half-dozen Top 10 country singles from 1985-1990, including "Tell It Like It Is" and "Love Has No Right"

Marriage

2010 - Love And Theft's Eric Gunderson marries Emily Hagar at the Hazel Path Mansion in Hendersonville, Tennessee  

4 April - On This Day in Country Music

1940 - Ernest Tubb had his first recording session for Decca

1987 - George Strait plants a stake at #1 on the Billboard country chart with "Ocean Front Property".

It was written by Dean Dillon, Hank Cochran and Royce Porter and released by MCA on December 22, 1986 as the lead-off single and album title cut.

1998 - Trisha Yearwood makes her way to #1 in Billboard with "A Perfect Love". It was written by Sunny Russ and Stephony Smith and released by MCA on January 12, 1998 as the third and final single from her album, (Songbook) A Collection of Hits.

2004 - Martina McBride's "Independence Day" tops the list as CMT pesents "100 Greatest Music Videos" 

 

Birthdays

Steve Gatlin (1951), second of The Gatlin Brothers, is born in Olney, Texas. Along with brothers Larry and Rudy, their tight harmonies propel them to a Grammy award for "Broken Lady" and three trophies from the Academy of Country Music

5 April - On This Day in Country Music

1997 - Trace Adkins registers his first #1 single in Billboard with "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing”.

It was written by Tim Nichols and Mark D. Sanders and released by Capitol on January 21, 1997 as the third single from his debut album DREAMIN' OUT LOUD.

2000 - Trace Adkins had two fingers crushed while working on his farm when a 400-pound boulder came lose and rolled across them

2003 - Darryl Worley kicks off a seven-week reign at #1 in Billboard with "Have You Forgotten?" . It was written by Wynn Varble and Darryl Worley and released by DreamWorks on March 10, 2003 as the first single and album title cut.

2008 - iTunes passed Wal-Mart to become the biggest music retailer in the U.S.

2009 - Brad Paisley wins Top Male Vocalist among three trophies during the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. He also earns Video of the Year, for "Waitin' On A Woman"; and Vocal Event, for the Keith Urban duet "Start A Band"

2012 - Sugar Hill announces Kathy Mattea has signed a recording deal with the label

2012 - Elizabeth Travis, the ex-wife and ex-manager of Randy Travis, files suit against him in Nashville for breaking their management deal without written notice

2012 - Shelby Lynne has three guitars and a ukulele stolen when she performs in Norfolk, Virginia

Birthdays

"Cowboy" Jack Clement (1931), Songwriter-producer is born in Whitehaven, Tennessee. He writes "Miller's Cave," by Bobby Bare; and "I Know One," by Jim Reeves. Production credits include all the early Charley Pride hits, plus Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis

Troy Gentry (1967), born in Lexington, Kentucky. He joins Eddie Montgomery to form Montgomery Gentry, a rollicking, Southern rock-influenced act that wins the Country Music Association Vocal Duo of the Year honor in 2000 

Pat Green (1972), born in San Antonio, Texas. He becomes a major artist in the Lone Star State while recording on his own label. He earns a Grammy nomination in 2003, the same year he nets his first hit, "Wave On Wave" 

Mike Eli (1981), born in Tomball, Texas. He becomes the lead singer of The Eli Young Band, which earns an Academy of Country Music award in 2012 with the Song of the Year, "Crazy Girl" 

  

6 April - On This Day in Country Music

1957 - Ferlin Husky reaches the top of the Billboard country chart with "Gone". It was written by Smokey Rogers. 

1987 - Randy Travis claims four trophies--Top Male Vocalist; Album of the Year, for "Storms Of Life"; and Single Record and Song, for "On The Other Hand"--in the 22nd Academy Of Country Music awards, aired by NBC from Knott's Berry Farm in California 

1991 - Garth Brooks hits #1 on the Billboard country chart with "Two Of A Kind, Workin' On A Full House". It was written by Dennis Robbins, Bobby Boyd and Warren Dale Haynes and released by Capitol in January 1991 from his second album, NO FENCES.

2007 - Luke Bryan sings "All My Friends Say" in his Grand Ole Opry debut

2009 - George Strait is hailed as the Academy of Country Music's Artist of the Decade during a taping for a CBS-TV special at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Strait closes the night with the rest of the cast backing him on "Troubadour" 

Birthdays

Merle Haggard (1937),  born in Bakersfield, California. After imprisonment in San Quentin, he becomes a legendary singer-songwriter with his blue-collar observations and rich vocal style sending him into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994

Death

Tammy Wynette (1998) dies at home in Nashville from a blood clot in her lung. Noted for the classics "Stand By Your Man" and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," the First Lady of Country Music is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame five months later   

 

7 April - On This Day in Country Music

1956 - Carl Perkins takes the classic "Blue Suede Shoes" to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart. It was written by  Perkins and released by Sun Records on January 1, 1956 and considered one of the first rockabilly (rock and roll) records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time. >>  Audio

  

1999 - Shania Twain's "Come On Over" album is recognized for shipments of 10 million copies, making her the first country female to have two albums reach that mark 

2001 - Jessica Andrews' "Who I Am" nets a #1 country single in Billboard. It was written by Brett James and Troy Verges and released by DreamWorks Nashville on November 20, 2000 as the first single and album title cut. 

>> YouTube

  

2012 - Jake Owen proposes to his girlfriend, Lacey Buchanan, when he performs "Don't Think I Can't Love You" during a concert in Vero Beach, Florida. She says yes 

Birthdays

Bobby Bare (1935), born near Ironton, Ohio. He earns a reputation as a champion for songwriters and for good songs, garnering hits with "500 Miles Away From Home," "Marie Laveau" and "Detroit City," which earns him a Grammy in 1963 

Marriage

2012 - "Nothin' 'Bout Love Makes Sense" songwriter Gary Burr marries "I'm In" songwriter Georgia Middleman

SOURCES : On-This-Day.com, , CMT, YouTube