May 7 – This Day in Country Music

1931
Born on this day in Loyall, Kentucky was country music songwriter Jerry Chestnut. His hits include “Good Year for the Roses” (recorded by Alan Jackson, George Jones and Elvis Costello) and “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” (recorded by Elvis Presley in 1975, and Travis Tritt in 1992.) Chesnut died in Nashville on December 15, 2018 at the age of 87.

1953
Born on this day in Gainesville, Georgia was country music songwriter John Jarrard. He wrote songs for Alabama, George Strait, Don Williams, and others. Jarred died on February 1, 2001 of respiratory failure.

1970
Merle Haggard was at #1 on the Country music album chart with Okie from Muskogee. The album won the Academy of Country Music award for Album of the Year in 1969. Haggard also won Single of the Year for “Okie from Muskogee” as well as Top Male Vocalist.

1973
Charlie Rich was at #1 on the US Country singles chart with “Behind Closed Doors”. The single became Rich’s first #1 hit on the country charts, and also became a crossover hit on the pop charts. “Behind Closed Doors” earned awards for Song of the Year and Single of the Year from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, and Rich also received a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. In 2003, it ranked #9 in CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music.

1987
Randy Travis was at #1 on the Country chart with second album Always & Forever. The singles “Too Gone Too Long”, “I Won’t Need You Anymore (Always and Forever)”, “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “I Told You So”, from the album all reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

1994
Clint Black was at #1 on the Billboard country chart with “A Good Run Of Bad Luck”, the fourth single from his 1993 album No Time to Kill.

2002
O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack was certified for shipments of 6 million. The soundtrack features: Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, The Soggy Bottom Boys, The Whites, John Hartford, Ralph Stanley, and The Cox Family.

2005
Ohio Valley University in Parkersburg, West Virginia awarded and presented Dwight Yoakam with an honorary doctorate degree. Yoakam briefly attended Ohio State University, but dropped out and moved to Nashville in 1977.