This Day in Country Music History, January 12
2014
A Yoplait ad featuring Eddie Rabbitt’s “I Love A Rainy Night” has its first airing on TV
2009
Capitol releases Lady Antebellum’s “I Run To You” to radio
2006
Sugarland appears on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” Kristen Hall is absent, a sign of her departure, which the group announces within days
2001
Three weeks after its release in New York and Nashville, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” reaches movie theaters across the U.S. The soundtrack features Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, The Whites and Ralph Stanley, among others
1991
Garth Brooks occupies the #1 position on the Billboard country singles chart with “Unanswered Prayers”
1968
Keith Anderson is born in Miami, Oklahoma. A member of the MuzikMafia, he attains a gold album with his 2005 debut, “Three Chord Country And American Rock & Roll,” and earns a handful of Top 5 hits, led by 2008’s “I Still Miss You”
1952
Ricky Van Shelton is born in Grit, Virginia. A smooth and powerful vocalist, Shelton earns a reputation for revitalizing country staples such as “From A Jack To A King” and “Statue Of A Fool,” winning the CMA’s Male Vocalist of the Year in 1989
1939
William Lee Golden is born in Brewton, Alabama. He joins The Oak Ridge Boys in January 1965, aiding their leap from gospel to country to pop. A baritone with a mountain-man image, he leaves the group in 1987, but returns 10 years later. They join the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015
1926
Ray Price is born in Peach, Texas. Nicknamed the “Cherokee Cowboy,” he is instrumental in the growth of the country shuffle and the use of recorded strings. His legacy includes “Crazy Arms,” “For The Good Times,” “I’ve Got A New Heartache” and a plaque in the Country Music Hall of Fame
1905
Maurice “Tex” Ritter is born near Murvaul, Texas. A successful silver-screen cowboy, he builds a music career on top of his acting, with the theme to “High Noon” and several recitations. He joins the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1964
