Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Dates of Note in Country Music, April 16-30

Category: News

April 16:

Dusty Springfield born in London, England, 1939 (died 1999). The legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer hit the country charts in 1962 as part of the Springfields with "Silver Threads and Golden Needles."

April 17:

Craig Anderson of Heartland born in Huntsville, Alabama, 1973 (now 35)
Eddie Cochran died (car wreck), 1960 (was 21). The rockabilly pioneer co-wrote "Summertime Blues," which Alan Jackson covered in country.
Dorsey Dixon died (heart attack), 1968 (was 70)
Hank Penny died (heart failure), 1992 (was 73)
Linda McCartney died (breast cancer), 1998 (was 56). Linda and husband Sir Paul McCartney's band, Wings, hit the country charts in 1974 with "Sally G."
Glenn Sutton died (heart attack), 2007 (was 69)

April 18:

Walt Richmond of the Tractors born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1947 (now 60)
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown born in Vinton, Louisiana, 1924 (died 2005)
Your blogger born in Louisville, Kentucky, 19(mumble mumble) (not too old to cut the mustard)

April 19:

Bill Rice born in Datto, Arkansas, 1939 (now 69)
Bobby Russell born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1941 (died 1992)
Gary Brewer born in Louisville, Kentucky, 1965 (now 43)
Earl Bolick of the Blue Sky Boys died (unknown cause), 1998 (was 78)
The "National Barn Dance" debuted on WLS, Chicago, 1924

April 20:

Johnny Tillotson born in Jacksonville, Florida, 1939 (now 69)
Doyle Lawson of the Country Gentlemen and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver born in Ford Town, Tennessee, 1944 (now 64)
Wade Hayes born in Bethel Acres, Oklahoma, 1969 (now 39)
Hylo Brown born in River, Kentucky, 1922 (died 2003)
Benny Hill found dead in his London flat (coronary thrombosis), 1992 (was 68). The British comedian's Benny Hill Show featured Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax" as its theme song.

April 21:

Wade Mainer born in Buncombe, North Carolina, 1907 (now 100!)
Paul Davis born in Meridian, Mississippi, 1948 (now 60)
Ira Louvin born in Rainsville, Alabama, 1924 (died 1965)

Carl Belew born in Salina, Oklahoma, 1931 (died 1990)

April 22:

Glen Campbell born in Delight, Arkansas, 1936 (now 71)
Ray Griff born in Vancouver, British Columbia, 1940 (now 68)
Pat Enright of the Nashville Bluegrass Band born in Huntington, Indiana, 1945 (now 63)
Cleve Francis born in Jennings, Louisiana, 1945 (now 61)
Larry Groce born in Dallas, Texas, 1948 (now 60). The Mountain Stage host had one charted record, 1977's "Junk Food Junkie," which was a minor country hit.
Reuben Gosfield of Asleep at the Wheel born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1951 (now 57)
Heath Wright of Ricochet born in Vian, Oklahoma, 1967 (now 41)
Steve Sholes died (heart attack), 1968 (was 57)
Felice Bryant died (cancer), 2003 (was 77)
Richard Nixon died (stroke), 1994 (was 81). The former president's political troubles were chronicled in Tom T. Hall's song "Watergate Blues." Nixon also appeared on the Grand Ole Opry during its first night at the Opry House in 1974.

April 23:

Roland White of the Nashville Bluegrass Band born in Madawaska, Maine, 1938 (now 70)
Roy Orbison born in Vernon, Texas, 1936 (died 1988)

April 24:

Shirley Boone born in Chicago, Illinois, 1934 (now 74). Pat Boone's wife is also the daughter of legendary country singer Red Foley.
Rebecca Lynn Howard born in Salyersville, Kentucky, 1979 (now 29)
Harry McClintock died (unknown cause), 1957 (was 74). His greatest success would come years after his death when his recording of "Big Rock Candy Mountain" began the film O Brother, Where Art Thou.
Bonnie Owens died (Alzheimer's disease), 2006 (was 73)

April 25:

Larry Robbins of the Johnson Mountain Boys born in Dickerson, Maryland, 1945 (now 63)
Karl Farr of the Sons of the Pioneers born in Rochelle, Texas, 1909 (died 1961)
Cliff Bruner born in Texas City, Texas, 1915 (died 2000)
Vassar Clements born in Kinard, South Carolina, 1928 (died 2005)
O.B. McClinton born in Senatobia, Mississippi, 1940 (died 1987)
The musical Big River opened on Broadway, 1985. It won a "Best Musical" Tony for songwriter Roger Miller, making him, to date, the only country performer to ever win a Tony Award.

April 26:

Johnny Mosby born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, 1933 (now 75)
Duane Eddy born in Corning, New York, 1938 (now 70)
Fiddlin' Doc Roberts born in Richmond, Kentucky, 1897 (died 1978)
Cecil Null born in East War, West Virginia, 1927 (died 2001)
Tim Spencer of the Sons of the Pioneers died (unknown cause), 1974 (was 65)
Wesley Rose died (unknown cause), 1990 (was 72)

April 27:

Maxine Brown of the Browns born in Campti, Louisiana, 1931 (now 77)
Herb Pedersen of the Dillards and Desert Rose Band born in Berkley, California, 1944 (now 64)
Sydney Nathan, founder of King Records, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1903 (died 1968)
Jimmie Skinner born in Blue Lick, Kentucky, 1909 (died 1979)

April 28:

Dale Potter born in Puxico, Missouri, 1929 (died 1996)
Tommy Caldwell of the Marshall Tucker Band died (car wreck), 1980 (was 30)
Ken Curtis died (natural causes), 1991 (was 74). The Gunsmoke star was also a one-time member of the Sons of the Pioneers.

April 29:

Danny Davis of the Nashville Brass born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, 1925 (now 83)
Billy Mize born in Arkansas City, Kansas, 1929 (now 79)
Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys born in Taylortown, Texas, 1943 (now 65)
Wayne Secrest of Confederate Railroad born in Alton, Illinois, 1950 (now 58)
Karen Brooks born in Dallas, Texas, 1954 (now 54)
Eddie Noack born in Houston, Texas, 1930 (died 1978)

April 30:

Fuzzy Owen born in Conway, Arkansas, 1929 (now 79)
Willie Nelson born in Abbott, Texas, 1933 (now 75)
Darrell McCall born in New Jasper, Ohio, 1940 (now 68)
Robert Earl Reynolds of the Mavericks born in Kansas City, Missouri, 1962 (now 46)
Johnny Horton born in Los Angeles, California, 1930 (died 1960)
Curly Chalker died (natural causes), 1998 (was 66)
WLS airs the final broadcast of the National Barn Dance, 1960, after 36 years on the air.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

If you want to know about that April 18th birthday of your Blogger, just ask me, for I am her brother and I KNOW the last two digits of that year.

angelina said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.