1944
Born on this day in Savannah, Georgia, was Michael Curb, musician, record company executive, and NASCAR and IRL race car owner. Founder of Curb Records whose roster has included many successful country music artists, such as Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Hank Williams, Jr., Wynonna, the Bellamy Brothers, Steve Holy, the Judds, Hal Ketchum, Jo Dee Messina, Rio Grand, Jim Stafford and Ray Stevens. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown, Jr. He was acting governor of California while Brown spent time outside of California pursuing presidential ambitions.
1963
“Love’s Gonna Live Here” by Buck Owens, was at #1 on the Country chart. Spending sixteen weeks at the top spot and a total of thirty weeks on the chart, after “Love’s Gonna Live Here” finished its 16-week stay at #1, no other song would spend more than 10 weeks at #1 for 49 years. On January 12, 2013, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift would become the first song to spend at least 10 weeks at #1.
1980Kenny Rogers was at #1 on the country album charts with Greatest Hits, which featured three singles that were not included on any of Rogers’ studio albums: “Lady” (written and produced specifically for Rogers by Lionel Richie), “Love The World Away” (a top five country and top 20 pop hit that was featured on the soundtrack of the box-office smash Urban Cowboy) and “Long Arm of the Law”. This was also Rogers’ third #1 album of the year. (the other two being Kenny and Gideon).
1993
“I Don’t Call Him Daddy” by Doug Supernaw was at #1 on the Country chart. Initially recorded by Kenny Rogers on his 1987 album I Prefer the Moonlight, it was released as the third single from Supernaw’s debut album Red and Rio Grande.
2010
Rascal Flatts were at #1 on the US Country charts with “Why Wait” which became the group’s eleventh #1 hit.
