1938
Born on this day in Spring City, Tennessee, was Hargus Melvin “Pig” Robbins, American session keyboard and piano player. Having played on records for artists such as George Jones, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, David Allan Coe, George Hamilton IV and Conway Twitty, Robbins became a prominent session instrumentalist in Nashville. He is also blind, having lost his sight when he was four years old, due to an accident involving his father’s knife.
1941
Born on this day in Marianna, Florida, was Bobby Goldsboro who had a string of Pop and Country hits during the 1960s and 1970s, including his signature #1 classic “Honey,” which sold over one million copies in the United States. In 1995, he created the fifty-two episode children’s television series The Swamp Critters of Lost Lagoon. Goldsboro voiced all the characters, wrote all the scripts, and played all the musical instruments.
1955
Born on this day in Lynwood, California, was Kevin Costner actor, producer and singer. Costner is the singer in Kevin Costner & Modern West, a country rock band which he founded with the encouragement of his wife Christine.
1956
Born on this day was Mark Collie, American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, producer and tireless advocate and fundraiser for Type 1 diabetes study. Sixteen of his singles have charted on Hot Country Songs, including the top ten hits “Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'” and “Born to Love You”. Collie has also written songs for Aaron Tippin, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and JT Hodges.
1966
Red Sovine was at #1 on the US Country charts with “Giddyup Go”, which is the tale of an emotional father-son reunion at a highway truck stop. American country comedienne Minnie Pearl recorded an answer version titled “Giddyup Go Answer.” A departure from her usual comic recordings, Pearl told the story from the perspective of the manager of the truck stop where the father-son reunion takes place.
1979
Willie Nelson was at #1 on the country music album chart with the double set, Willie and Family Live. Recorded live at Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe, Nevada in April 1978 at the height of Willie madness, the recordings featured Emmylou Harris and Johnny Paycheck as guests on some of the songs.
1983
Born on this day in Long Island, New York was record producer and songwriter David Garcia. He co-wrote and produced the smash 2017 hit single “Meant to Be” with Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line and worked with Carrie Underwood to produce her 2018 #1 album Cry Pretty.
1984
Born on this day in Seattle, Washington, was Kristy Lee Cook, Country singer who was the seventh place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. She scored the 2008 top 10 Country album Why Wait.
2001
Inaugural celebrations for president George W. Bush in Washington, D.C., include performances by Lorrie Morgan, Sammy Kershaw, Lee Ann Womack and Brooks & Dunn, who sang “Only In America.”
2009
Garth Brooks performed “We Shall Be Free” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during an inaugural event for Barack Obama. James Taylor, Jennifer Nettles, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Sheryl Crow also appeared.
2019
Reggie Young died age 82. He was the lead guitarist in the American Sound Studios Band (aka The Memphis Boys), and was a leading session musician. He played on various recordings with artists such as Elvis Presley, (“In the Ghetto”), Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Merle Haggard, and George Strait.
2020
Nashville folk singer David Olney died age 71 after suffering a heart attack during a performance in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. He formed the band The X-Rays, which released two albums and opened for Elvis Costello, before splitting up in 1985. Numerous artists, including Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, Linda Ronstadt and Steve Earle, have covered his songs.
