July 27th:
1920
Born on this day near Knoxville, Tennessee, was Henry D. “Homer” Haynes, American entertainer who gained fame on radio and television as Homer of the country music comedy duo Homer and Jethro with Kenneth C. Burns for 35 years beginning in 1936. The pair recorded more than 50 albums during their career and won a Grammy for the best comedy performance in 1959 for “The Battle of Kookamonga,” a parody of Johnny Horton’s “Battle of New Orleans.” Haynes, who owned Fender Stratocaster serial number 0001, died on August 8, 1971 of a heart attack in Hammond, Indiana.
1944
Born on this day in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, was Bobbie Gentry, singer-songwriter notable as one of the first female country artists to compose and produce her own material. Gentry rose to international fame with her intriguing Southern Gothic narrative “Ode to Billie Joe” in 1967. The track spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold over three million copies all over the world. Her album Fancy brought her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
1952
Hank Thompson was at #1 on the US Country singles chart with “Wild Side Of Life”. Spending 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard country charts, the song solidified Thompson’s status as a country music superstar and inspired the answer song, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” by Kitty Wells.
1990
Garth Brooks was at #1 on the US Country charts with, The Dance. The song, written by Brooks’ friend, Tony Arata, was a key track on his self-titled debut album Garth Brooks and is considered by many to be Brooks’ signature song.
2000
“I Hope You Dance” by country singer Lee Ann Womack with Sons of the Desert was at #1 on the Country chart. Considered to be Womack’s signature song, “I Hope You Dance” won the 2001 CMA, ACM, NSAI, ASCAP and BMI awards for Song of the Year. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song and was nominated for Song of the Year.
