April 5th: On this day
1931
Born on this day, was Jack Henderson Clement, (nicknamed ‘Cowboy’ Jack Clement). Clement worked with future stars such as Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, but most importantly, he discovered and recorded Jerry Lee Lewis. Clement wrote the song “Ballad of a Teenage Queen” that became a crossover hit for Johnny Cash. He died on August 8, 2013 at his home in Nashville, Tennessee after suffering from liver cancer.
1940
Born on this day in Dyess, Arkansas, was Tommy Cash, singer-songwriter and younger brother of Johnny Cash. While in the army, he was a disc jockey for the American Forces Radio Network and then played with Hank Williams, Jr., and later gained a record deal from Musicor Records in 1965. A year later, he joined United Artists Records and just missed the Country Top 40 in 1968 with “The Sounds of Goodbye.”
1972
Born on this day in San Antonio, Texas, was Pat Green who scored the 2003 #3 hit “Wave on Wave” from his gold-certified album of the same name.
1972
Freddie Hart and the Heartbeats were at #1 on the US Country chart with, “My Hang-Up Is You”, Hart’s second #1 on the US country singles chart. The single stayed at the top for six weeks and spent a total of eighteen weeks on the chart.
1974
Johnny Cash released Ragged Old Flag, his 46th album. The album addresses several political as well as ethical issues, not unlike many of Cash’s other releases. The title track, and simultaneously the only single from the album, is a spoken word tribute to patriotism amid the Watergate scandal.
2000
Toby Keith was at #1 on the US chart with “How Do You Like Me Now?!”, the second single released from the album How Do You Like Me Now?! The song spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard US Hot Country Songs chart.
2009
Winners at the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards included: Entertainer of the Year and Top Female Vocalist – Carrie Underwood, Top Male Vocalist – Brad Paisley, Top Vocal Group – Rascal Flatts, Top Vocal Duo – Sugarland, Top New Artist – Julianne Hough, Top New Male Artist – Jake Owen, Top Album of the Year went to Taylor Swift for Fearless and Vocal Event of the Year went to Brad Paisley and Keith Urban for “Start a Band.”
