1939
Born on this day in Floydada, Texas, was Don Williams, country singer, songwriter and a 2010 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. After seven years with the folk-pop group Pozo-Seco Singers, he began his solo career in 1971, singing popular ballads and amassing 17 #1 hits including the 1974 #1 “I Wouldn’t Want to Live If You Didn’t Love Me”. Williams died at his home in Alabama on 8 September 2017 aged 78.
1963
Hawkshaw Hawkins was at #1 on the US country chart with “Lonesome 7-7203”. Written by Justin Tubb it was the final single release of his career, three days after its release, Hawkins died in an airplane crash which also killed Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. Two weeks after Hawkins’ death, the song reached the top of the charts for a four-week run.
1968
Glen Campbell recorded “Wichita Lineman” at Capitol Records Hollywood, California. Campbell’s version, which appeared on his 1968 album of the same name, reached #3 on the US pop chart, and in addition, the song topped the American country music chart for two weeks.
1981Alabama were at #1 on the country music album chart with Feels So Right, their second studio album. The album produced three #1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart: “Old Flame”, the title track and “Love in the First Degree”.
1982
MCA Records released “Fool Hearted Memory” by George Strait, written by Byron Hill and Blake Mevis, it gave the singer his first #1 single. The song was included in the soundtrack of the feature film The Soldier and won an ASCAP Award for being among the most performed country songs of 1982.
2010
Chris Young scored his second consecutive #1 single with “The Man I Want to Be” which was released as the third single and title track from his album The Man I Want to Be.
