Dates of Note in Country Music, May 16-31

Category: News

May 16:

Rick Trevino born in Austin, Texas, 1971 (now 37)

May 17:

Penny DeHaven born in Winchester, Virginia, 1948 (now 60)
Grant Turner born in Abeline, Texas, 1912 (died 1991)
Paul Warren born in Lyles, Tennessee, 1918 (died 1978)
Red Smiley of Reno & Smiley born in Marshall, North Carolina, 1925 (died 1984)
Wiley Walker of Wiley & Gene died (unknown causes), 1966 (was 54)
New Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum building opened, 2001

May 18:

Leon Ashley born in Newton County, Georgia, 1936 (now 72)
Rodney Dillard of the Dillards born in East St. Louis, Illinois, 1942 (now 66)
Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1948 (now 60)
Gary Scruggs born in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1949 (now 59)
George Strait born in Poteet, Texas, 1952 (now 56)

May 19:

Martha Carson born in Neon, Kentucky, 1921 (died 2004)
Mickey Newberry born in Houston, Texas, 1940 (died 2002)

May 20:

"Lonesome George" Gobel born in Chicago, Illinois, 1919 (died 1991). Although many may remember him as a comedian and regular on Hollywood Squares, one of Gobel's earliest jobs in entertainment was on the WLS National Barn Dance when he was a teenager in the 1930s.

May 21:

Charlie Poole died (heart failure), 1931 (was 39)
Billy Walker died (car wreck), 2006 (was 77)
Vaughn Monroe died (post-operative complications), 1973 (was 61). Among the pop singer's many hits was "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky."

May 22:

Miggie Lewis of the Lewis Family born in Richmond County, Georgia, 1926 (now 82)
Buddy Alan born in Mega, Arizona, 1948 (now 60)
Rich Alves of Pirates of the Mississippi born in Pleasanton, California, 1953 (now 55)
Ralph S. Peer born in Independence, Missouri, 1892 (died 1960)
Royce Kendall died (stroke), 1988 (was 63)

May 23:

Mac Wiseman born in Crimora, Virginia, 1925 (now 83)
Ken Irwin, co-founder of Rounder Records, born in New York, New York, 1944 (now 64)
Misty Morgan born in Buffalo, New York, 1945 (now 63)
Shelley West born in Cleveland, Ohio, 1958 (now 50)
Rosemary Clooney born in Maysville, Kentucky, 1928 (died 2002). The legendary pop singer recorded a number of country songs, including covering Carl Smith's hit "If Teardrops Were Pennies."
Rex Gosdin died (heart attack), 1983 (was 45)

May 24:

Mike Reid born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, 1947 (now 61)
Rosanne Cash born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1955 (now 53)
Billy Gilman born in Westerly, Rhode Island, 1988 (now 20). Gilman's "One Voice" hit #1 when he was 12, making him the youngest person in Billboard country chart history to have a #1 song.
Gene Clark of the Byrds and Dillard & Clark died (bleeding ulcer), 1991 (was 46)
Jimmie Rodgers recorded "Old Love Letters (Bring Memories of You)," "Mississippi Delta Blues," "Somewhere Down Below the Dixon Line," and "Years Ago" in New York City, 1933. Ravaged with tuberculosis, they would serve as the final recordings of the Father of Country Music.

May 25:

Tom T. Hall born in Olive Hill, Kentucky, 1936 (now 72)
Jessi Colter born in Phoenix, Arizona, 1947 (now 61)
Dr. Humphrey Bate of the Possum Hunters born in Castallian Springs, Tennessee, 1875 (died 1936)
Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman born in Monarat, Virginia, 1893 (died 1968)

May 26:

Levon Helm of the Band born in Marvell, Arkansas, 1940 (now 68). The actor and drummer/singer for the Band made his acting debut in Coal Miner's Daughter.
Hank Williams Jr. born in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1949 (now 59)
Jimmie Rodgers died (tuberculosis), 1933 (was 35)
Onie Wheeler died (heart attack), 1984 (was 62). He died on the Grand Ole Opry stage during a performance of the post-Friday Night Opry show, Grand Ole Gospel.

May 27:

Don Williams born in Floydada, Texas, 1939 (now 69)
Redd Stewart born in Ashland City, Tennessee, 1921 (died 2003)
Kenny Price born in Florence, Kentucky, 1931 (died 1987)
Opryland opened, 1972 (died 1997)

May 28:

John Fogerty born in Berkeley, California, 1945 (now 63). The leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival recorded an album of country songs under the pseudonym Blue Ridge Rangers in 1973, hitting the country chart with his rendition of "Jambalaya."
Jerry Douglas born in Warren, Ohio, 1956 (now 52)
Phil Vassar born in Lynchburg, Virginia, 1965 (now 43)
Gary Stewart born in Jenkins, Kentucky, 1945 (died 2003)

May 29:

Carl Story born in Lenoir, North Carolina, 1916 (died 1995)
Hank and Audrey Williams divorce, 1952

May 30:

Lewis Crook of the Crook Brothers born in Trousdale County, Tennessee, 1909 (died 1996)
Karl Davis of Karl & Harty died (cancer), 1979 (was 73)

May 31:

Vic Willis of the Willis Brothers born in Schulter, Oklahoma, 1922 (died 1995)
Johnny Paycheck born in Greenfield, Ohio, 1938 (died 2003)