1966
Born on this day in Sydney, Australia, was Jamie O’Neal, country singer and songwriter. Her 2000 debut album, Shiver featured the back-to-back #1 singles “There Is No Arizona” and “When I Think About Angels”.
1972
The Opryland USA country music theme park opened in Nashville. Opryland USAwhich was later called Opryland Themepark was an amusement park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. During the late 1980s, nearly 2.5 million people visited the park annually. Billed as the ‘Home of American Music,’ Opryland USAfeatured a large number of musical shows along with amusement park rides.
1990
The Carter Family and Johnny Cash were both inducted into the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the Berkley Carterette Hotel in Ashbury Park, New Jersey.
1994
Singer Wally Fowler died of a heart attack while fishing from a dock on Dale Hollow Lake, northeast of Nashville, his body was found floating in the water. He founded the Oak Ridge Quartet, a gospel act that eventually became the Oak Ridge Boys. He was known as The Man with a Million Friends and Mr. Gospel Music.
1997
Curb Records released Everywhere, the fourth album by Tim McGraw. It was his first release since his marriage to Faith Hill and his collaboration with his wife from the album, “It’s Your Love”, was nominated for Best Country Collaboration and Best Country Song at the 1998 Grammy Awards.
2000
Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw were arrested in Buffalo, New York after Chesney ran away with a Mounted Reserve deputy’s horse, and McGraw attacked deputies that tried to corral him. Chesney asked to sit on the horse outside Ralph Wilson Stadium and the daughter of the deputy gave him permission to do so. Then Chesney mounted the horse and rode away. He was told to stop, but ignored the orders from the other deputies, the deputies were then attacked by McGraw and members of his entourage. Chesney was charged with disorderly conduct and released on $100 bail. McGraw was charged with second-degree assault, obstructing governmental administration, menacing and resisting arrest. He was released on $2,500 bail.
