March 13th:
1930
Born on this day in West Plains, Missouri, was Jan Howard country music singer and Grand Ole Opry star. Howard’s biggest hit and signature song is the 1966 country hit “Evil on Your Mind”, which peaked at #5 on the Billboard country charts.
1963
Born on this day in Doniphan, Missouri, was Billy Yates, singer, songwriter. Yates co-wrote George Jones’ singles “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” and “Choices”.
1972
Winners at the Academy of Country Music Awards hosted by Dick Clark from Knott’s Berry Farm Buena Park included: Top Female Vocalist of the Year – Loretta Lynn, Top Male Vocalist of the Year – Freddie Hart, Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year – Barbara Mandell, Top Television Personality of the Year – Glen Campbell and Song of the Year – Freddie Hart “Easy Lovin'”.
1975
George Jones and Tammy Wynette divoced after 6 years of marrage. The couple had married in 1969.
1980
Willie Nelson was at #1 on the country chart with “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys”, the title of a song from the soundtrack to the 1979 film The Electric Horseman, (starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and directed by Sydney Pollack). Written by Sharon Vaughn, it become his fifth #1.
1987
George Strait was at #1 on the country chart with Ocean Front Property, his seventh studio album and Strait’s first to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. It was ranked #5 on CMT’s list of 40 Greatest Albums in Country Music in 2006.
2005
Rascal Flatts were at #1 on the US Country music album chart with Feels Like Today,which as now sold over 5m copies in the US alone.
2012
Lady Antebellum were at #1 on the US County chart with Own the Night which won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album at the 54th Grammy Awards. Four singles were released from the album; “Just a Kiss”, “We Owned the Night”, “Dancin’ Away with My Heart” and “Wanted You More”.
2015
A Woodstock woman took out legal action suing Willie Nelson saying the lyrics of a song on his Heroes album were “substantially and strikingly similar” to one written by her and her partner. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Atlanta by Ashley Wilson and the estate of Mark Reynolds contended Nelson’s 2012 “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die,” was written by Wilson and Reynolds in 1990 and was performed by Reynolds in the 1990s and played on Georgia radio. The lawsuit accused Nelson, his four listed co-authors and record companies of copyright infringement with their version of the cannabis-loving song.
