1936
Born on this day in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, was Doug Kershaw, fiddle player, singer and songwriter who had the 1969 hit “Diggy Liggy Lo.”
1939
Born on this day in Clarkdale, Georgia, was Ray Stevens, country and pop singer-songwriter. Stevens recorded perhaps his most famous hit, “The Streak,” which poked fun at the early-1970s fad of running nude in public, known as “streaking.” In 1975, he released the Grammy winning “Misty,” which became his biggest country hit (reaching #3 on the country charts).
1953
Hank Williams was at #1 on the US Country charts with “I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive”, knocking himself from the top of the charts with his previous single “Jambalaya (On The Bayou)”. Williams scored another two #1’s this year with “Kaw-Liga” and “Take These Chains From My Heart”.
1968
Merle Haggard was at #1 on the US Country charts with “Sing Me Back Home”, his third chart topper. It was also recorded live by the Byrds on There Is a Season as well as the Grateful Dead who included the song in their live set.
1972
Charley Pride was at #1 on the US Country charts with “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'”, his eighth song to reach the top of the charts.
1977
United Artists released Kenny Rogers’ “Lucille”. Written by Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum, the song is about a man in a bar that meets a woman who has left her husband. It became Rogers’ first major hit as a solo artist after leaving the successful country/rock group The First Edition the previous year. An international hit, it reached #1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top of the UK singles chart in June 1977.
1981The Muppet Show staring Johnny Cash was broadcast, in which Cash inspired Kermit the frog to hold an old-fashioned hoedown. During the show Cash sang “Ghost Riders In The Sky” and a medley of his famous railroad songs.
2008
Charlie Daniels who is known for his #1 country hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
2017
Chris Stapleton was back at #1 on the US Country chart with his debut studio album Traveller which was later named Album of the Year at the 2015 Country Music Association Awards. The album topped the Billboard Year-End Top Country Albums chart in 2016 and 2017.
