1948
Born on this day was American country music singer Gary Morris who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s including the 1983 ballad “The Wind Beneath My Wings”, and five #1 hits.
1976
Born on this day in Houston, Texas, was Sunny Sweeney country music artist. The lead-off to her second studio album, “From a Table Away,” became her first single to chart in 2010.
1983
Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton were awarded a platinum single for “Islands In The Stream”. Written by the Bee Gees it was the first single from Rogers’ album Eyes That See in the Dark and the second pop #1 for both Rogers and Parton (Rogers having been there with 1980’s “Lady” and Parton with 1981’s “9 to 5”).
1991
Reba McEntire was at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart with “For My Broken Heart”. The lead track from her eighteenth album was originally planned as a duet with Clint Black, but he was unavailable at the time of recording.
1996
Johnny Cash was honoured at the 19th Annual Kennedy Centre Awards Ceremony at the Kennedy Centre, Washington DC. The ceremony was televised and featured a medley of Cash’s hits performed by Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett.
1998
“You Were Mine” by the Dixie Chicks was released as the fourth single from the album Wide Open Spaces. The song hit #1 on the US Country singles chart, spending two weeks there in March 1999. It also placed 34th on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop singles chart.
2002
Shania Twain was at #1 on the US Country chart with her fourth studio album Up! The album debuted at #1 on both the Top Country Albums chart and the Billboard 200, after selling 874,000 copies in its first full week of release, it then stayed in the Top 100 of the Billboard chart for more than 60 weeks.
2006
The Dixie Chicks picked up five Grammy Award nominations, leading all other country acts. Alan Jackson neted three and Carrie Underwood collected two, including one for Best New Artist.
2008
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honored George Jones for his lifetime contributions to the arts. For the last 20 years of his life, Jones was frequently referred to as the greatest living country singer.
2008
Taylor Swift released “White Horse” as the second single from her second studio album Fearless. At the 2010 Grammy Awards, “White Horse” won the Awards for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
