August 17th: On this day
1921
Born on this day was American country singer and harmonica player Wayne Raney. His longtime musical associate was Lonnie Glosson and the two men established a harmonica mail order business which sold millions of harmonicas and played a major role in turning the harmonica into a widely popular instrument. His 1949 single, “Why Don’t You Haul Off and Love Me”, was a #1 country hit. He died on January 23, 1993.
1952
Hank Williams was arrested in Alexander City, Alabama for public drunkeness. The famous and much used photo of Hank Williams shirtless was taken as he was let out of jail later in the day.
1985
Highwayman featuring Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson was at #1 on the Billboard Country album chart.
1991
George Strait’s “You Know Me Better Than That” was at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart, the second single from his 1991 album Chill of an Early Fall.
2008
Linda Ronstadt received a tribute by various artists including BeBe Winans and Wynonna Judd, when she was honored with the Trailblazer Award, presented to her by Pl�cido Domingo at the 2008 ALMA Awards a ceremony later televised in the US on ABC.
