1913
Born on this day in Jefferson Township in Adams County, Ohio was Cowboy Copas (Lloyd Estel Copas), who had the 1960 #1 hit “Alabam”. The American country music singer was popular from the 1940s until his death in the 1963 plane crash that also killed country stars Patsy Cline and Hawkshaw Hawkins on March 5, 1963.
1946Born on this day in Tucson, Arizona, was Linda Ronstadt, singer,who has won eleven Grammy Awards and two Academy of Country Music awards. Ronstadt has collaborated with many Country artists including both Gram Parsons and Dolly Parton. Her first Country #1 was in 1975 with her version of the Everly Brothers hit, “When Will I Be Loved.”
1955
Slim Whitman’s “Rose Marie” became an international smash hit, debuting on the UK charts and quickly rising to #1. The song’s 11-week run in pole position stood as one of the longest runs for many years on the UK charts.
2003
Johnny Cash made his first public appearance since the funeral for his wife, June Carter. It also turned out to be his last ever public performance. Along with son John Carter Cash, he performed “Folsom Prison Blues”, “Ring Of Fire”, “Understand Your Man” in Hiltons, Virginia.
2010
American country music singer and songwriter, Hank Cochran died aged 74. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, (“I Fall to Pieces.”), Ray Price, Eddy Arnold, Merle Haggard, George Strait and others. Cochran was also a recording artist between 1962 and 1980, scoring seven times on the Billboard country music charts, with his greatest solo success being “Sally Was a Good Old Girl”.
