1957
Born on this day in Bronxville, New York, was Gretchen Peters, singer and songwriter. She moved to Nashville in the late 1980s and there, she found work as a songwriter, composing hits for Martina McBride, Etta James, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Anne Murray and others. Peters has released studio albums of her own, the title track of her 1996 debut album The Secret of Life was recorded by Faith Hill in 1999.
1966
Loretta Lynn was at #1 on the US Country chart with You Ain’t Woman Enough. The lead single, and title track became Lynn’s biggest hit up to that point peaking at #2. Martina McBride covered the song for her 2005 album Timeless.
1970
Merle Haggard was at #1 on the country music album chart with The Fightin’ Side of Me. The title track (like the song “Okie from Muskogee”) became a success and gave Haggard a #1 hit single.
1996
Mel McDaniel had a near-fatal fall into an orchestra pit while he was performing at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. The accident ended his touring career and he underwent several surgeries thereafter. He scored the 1985 #1 “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On”.
2001
CBS-TV aired Garth Brooks: Coast To Coast Live from the Los Angeles’ Great Western Forum. This was the first of three consecutive Wednesday-night concert specials, the show also featured Keb’ Mo’ and Trisha Yearwood. Brooks would see his latest album Scarecrow top the Country charts the following month.
2016Country music artist Holly Dunn died of ovarian cancer aged 59. She first found fame with her 1986 Top-10 hit “Daddy’s Hands” from her self-titled debut album. Dunn charted more than a dozen country singles, two of which (“Are You Ever Gonna Love Me”, “You Really Had Me Going”) reaching the #1 spot.
