April 10th:
1921
Born on this day in Erick, Oklahoma, was Sheb Wooley, the singer, songwriter and actor best known for his 1958 novelty song “Purple People Eater”. He played Ben Miller, brother of Frank Miller in the film High Noon, Travis Cobb in The Outlaw Josey Wales, and also had a co-starring role as scout Pete Nolan in the television program Rawhide. He died in Nashville, Tennessee on September 16th 2003.
1981
Born on this day, was Laura Bell Bundy, American actress and singer who has performed in a number of Broadway, television and film roles. She signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released her first country music single, “Giddy On Up,” in early 2010.
1989
Winners at the Academy of Country Music Awards hosted by George Strait, K.T. Oslin and Patrick Duffy included: Pioneer Award – Buck Owens, Top Female Vocalist of the Year – K.T. Oslin, Top Male Vocalist of the Year – George Strait, Top Vocal Group – Highway 101 and Song of the Year went to Kathy Mattea for “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses.”
1993
Reba McEntire and Vince Gill held the pole position on the Billboard country singles chart with “The Heart Won’t Lie.” The second single released from Reba’s album, It’s Your Call was originally planned to be a duet with Kenny Rogers, but when Rogers proved to be unavailable McEntire decided to record the song not as a duet and Vince Gill was added later.
2003
Former Oak Ridge Boys member Noel Fox died at a Nashville hospital following a series of strokes aged 63. Fox sang with the Oak Ridge boys until 1972, and later became a music business executive.
2006
CMT honored Hank Williams Jr. with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award, presenting it to him at the 2006 CMT Music Awards.
2007
The former home of Johnny Cash burnt to the ground. Cash and his wife June Carter used the base in Tennessee to write many of their songs, and to entertain fans and US presidents. Part of Cash’s famous late-period video “Hurt” was shot inside the house, 20 miles north-east of ‘country music capital’ Nashville. After the couple’s deaths in 2003, the home in Henderson was bought by Bee Gee Barry Gibb who was preparing to refurbish the property when fire struck – within a few hours, only the stone chimneys remained of the building. More on Johnny Cash
2011
American reality-documentary television series The Judds debuted on the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The series followed the daily life of mother-daughter Grammy Award winning Wynonna and Naomi Judd while they rehearse and get ready for their latest tour.
2014
Linda Ronstadt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Brooklyn. Due to illness, Ronstadt was unable to attend. Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, and Carrie Underwood paid tribute to Ronstadt during the ceremony.
