October 25th:
1912
Born on this day in Centerville, in Hickman County, Tennessee, was Minnie Pearl, country comedian who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years (from 1940 to 1991) and on the television show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1991. Pearl died on 4 March 1996 aged 83.
1970
Born on this day in Kansas City, Missouri, was Chely Wright, Country music singer, songwriter. Her first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with “Shut Up and Drive”. Two years later, her fourth album yielded her first #1 single, the title track, “Single White Female”.
1992
Roger Miller the singer, songwriter, musician and actor, died. Best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs including the chart-topping country/pop hits “King of the Road”, “Dang Me” and “England Swings”, from the mid-1960s. A lifelong cigarette smoker Miller died of lung and throat cancer at the age of 56.
1997
After falling over on stage when reaching for a guitar pick, Johnny Cash announced during a gig in Michigan that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
1999
Lonestar released “Smile” as the third single from the album, Lonely Grill. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
2003
Johnny Cash’s step-daughter, Rosey Nix Adams and her fiddle player Jimmy Campbell were found dead on their tour bus in Clarksville, Tennessee from Carbon monoxide poisoning. Heaters that had been left on in the converted school bus were blamed for the accident. Campbell was also a regular member of Nashville band, The Sidemen and performed with bluegrass great Bill Monroe and Jim and Jesse.
2005
Charlie Daniels was honored as a BMI Icon at the 53rd annual BMI Country Awards.Active as a singer since the early 1950s, and best known for his #1 country hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008 and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.
