Dates of Note in Country Music, July 21-31

Category: News

July 22:

Margaret Whiting born in Detroit, Michigan, 1924 (now 83). Although primarily a pop singer, Whiting had a series of duets with Jimmy Wakely in the 40s and 50s.
Bob Ferguson died (cancer), 2001 (was 73)

July 23:

Johnny Darrell born in Hopewell, Alabama, 1940 (now 67)
Alison Krauss born in Decatur, Illinois, 1971 (now 36)

July 25:

Roy Acuff Jr. born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1943 (now 64)
Charlie Rich died (blood clot in lung), 1995 (was 62)

July 27:

Bill Engvall born in Galveston, Texas, 1957 (now 50)
Bobbie Gentry born in Chickasaw, Mississippi, 1944 (now 67)
Henry "Homer" Haynes born in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1920 (died 1971)

July 28:

Frank Loesser died (lung cancer), 1969 (was 59). The composer was the "victim" of one of Homer and Jethro's earliest hits, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," in 1949 (which featured a young June Carter singing the female part). It was reported that Loesser had no objection to the parody (from an EP titled Homer and Jethro Fracture Frank Loesser), and only asked that the songwriter credit read, "With apologies to Frank Loesser" (which is on every copy of the song I have ever seen).

July 29:

Pete Drake died (lung disease), 1988 (was 55)

July 30:

Sam Phillips died (respiratory failure), 2003 (was 80)

July 31:

Jim Reeves died (plane crash), 1964 (was 40)