1915
Born on this day, was American record producer Owen Bradley, who, along with Chet Atkins and Bob Ferguson, was one of the chief architects of the 1950s and 1960s Nashville sound in country music and rockabilly, working with artists such as Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, and Conway Twitty.
1935
Born on this day in Rowe, Virginia, was Mel Street. From 1968 to 1972, Street hosted his own show on a Bluefield, West Virginia television station. He recorded his first single, “Borrowed Angel,” in 1970 for a small regional record label. A larger label, Royal American Records, picked it up in 1972, and it became a top-10 Billboard hit. He recorded the biggest hit of his career, “Lovin’ on Back Streets”, in 1973. He committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, on October 21, 1978, his 43rd birthday.
1977
Born on this day in Buchanan, Virginia was musician and songwriter Matthew Ramsey, the lead vocalist of the American country band Old Dominion. Ramsey has penned hit songs for The Band Perry, Craig Morgan, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney.
1978
Mel Street the honky tonk-styled singer, who had long battled clinical depression and alcoholism, committed suicide on his 43rd birthday. He had signed a recording contract with Mercury Records earlier in the year. He recorded the biggest hit of his career, “Lovin’ on Back Streets”, in 1973.
1980
Don Williams was at #1 on the Country music charts with “I Believe in You”, Williams’ eleventh #1 on the country chart. It was also hit in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
1988
Country singer Lynn Anderson was booked on a misdemeanor charge of malicious mischief after an incident at the home of songwritter Paul Williams’ brother. It was reported that Anderson had damaged a car and stole a jacket.
1993
Born on this day was American singer and songwriter Kane Brown. The single “What Ifs” in October 2017, made him the first artist to have simultaneous #1’s on all five main Billboard country charts. His second album, Experiment, released November 2018, became his first Country #1 album.
2007
Rascal Flatts were at #1 on the US Country music album chart with their fifth studio album, Still Feels Good. The album produced five singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, the first of which was “Take Me There”, co-written by Kenny Chesney, and reached #1 on the country charts in mid-2007.
2012
Hargus “Pig” Robbins was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The session keyboard and piano player played on records for artists such as George Jones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, David Allan Coe, George Hamilton IV and Conway Twitty. He was also awarded Musician of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1976 and 2000.
