1912
Born on this day in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, was singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie. His best-known song is “This Land Is Your Land.” Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress and many Country artists have acknowledged Guthrie as a major influence.
1932
Born on this day in Sparta, North Carolina, was Del Reeves, singer, best known for his “girl-watching” novelty songs of the 1960s including “Girl on the Billboard” and “The Belles of the Southern Bell”. He is also known for his 1968 trucker’s anthem, “Looking At The World Through A Windshield”. Reeves died on January 1st 2007.
1942
Born on this day in Cleveland, Ohio, was Rory Bourke, songwriter. His songwriting career took off in the early 1970s and he soon racked up tracks recorded by Charlie Rich, Elvis Presley, Billy Crash Craddock, Lynn Anderson, Olivia Newton-John, and many others. His most successful song was “The Most Beautiful Girl”, co-written with Billy Sherrill and Norro Wilson, Rourke’s other hit songs include “A Little Good News,” (Anne Murray), “You Look So Good in Love” (George Strait), “I Know a Heartache When I See One” (Jennifer Warnes), and “Come Next Monday” (K.T. Oslin).
1956Elvis Presley started a two week run at #1 on the Country charts with “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You”. In this year Elvis also scored 3 more #1’s with “I Forgot To Remember To Forget”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, and “Don’t Be Cruel”, giving Elvis 26 weeks at the top of the charts in 1956.
1980
The combustible couple Glen Campbell and Tanya Tucker opened the Republican National Convention in Detroit with a duet of the National Anthem. Campbell later admitted they were “higher than the notes we were singing.”
1990
Garth Brooks was at #1 on the US Country charts with, “The Dance”. The song, written by Brooks’ friend, Tony Arata, was a key track on his self-titled debut album Garth Brooks and is considered by many to be Brooks’ signature song.
2002
Kenny Chesney’s seventh album No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems was at #1 on the Country charts. It produced five chart singles on the Billboard country music charts between 2002 and 2003: “The Good Stuff” was the biggest hit of Chesney’s career at the time, not only spending seven weeks at the top of the country charts, but also becoming Billboard’s #1 country single of 2002.
