Dates of Note in Country Music, December 16-31

Category: News

(Hall of Fame members in bold)

December 16:

Jim Glaser of the Glaser Brothers born in Spalding, Nebraska, 1937 (now 71)
Jeff Carson born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1964 (now 44)
Shelby Singleton born in Waskom, Texas, 1931 (now 77)
Jenny Lou Carson died (unknown causes), 1978 (was 63)
Martha Carson died (natural causes), 2004 (was 83)
Gary Stewart died (suicide), 2003 (was 58)
Dan Fogelberg died (cancer), 2007 (was 56)

December 17:

Sharon White Skaggs born in Wichita Falls, Texas, 1953 (now 55)
Frankie Miller born in Victoria, Texas, 1930 (now 78)
Tracy Byrd born in Vidor, Texas, 1966 (now 42)
Karl Davis born in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, 1905 (died 1979)
Spade Cooley born in Grand, Oklahoma, 1910 (died 1969)
Nat Stuckey born in Cass County, Texas, 1933 (died 1988)
Roy Huskey Jr. born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1956 (died 1997)
Rex Allen Sr. died (accidentally run over by car), 1999 (was 77)
Commercial plane carrying Doug Stone crash-lands in Chicago, 1999. Stone was uninjured.

December 18:

Cledus T. Judd (real name: James Poole) born in Crowe Springs, Georgia, 1964 (now 43)
Wilf Carter (Montana Slim) born in Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, 1904 (died 1996)
The first recording session for the Louvin Brothers (they recorded "Alabama") at Castle Studios, Nashville, 1947

December 19:


Little Jimmy Dickens born in Bolt, West Virginia, 1920 (now 88)
Janie Fricke born in South Whitney, Indiana, 1947 (now 61)
Jumpin' Bill Carlisle born in Wakefield, Kentucky, 1908 (died 2003)
Marion Worth died (emphysema), 1999 (was 69)
Hank Williams' last show at Skyline Club, Austin, Texas, 1952
Johnny Paycheck shot a man outside a bar in Greenfield, Ohio, 1985

December 20:

Skeeter Willis of the Willis Brothers born in Colton, Oklahoma, 1917 (died 1976)
Jack Stapp died (unknown cause), 1980 (was 68)
Hank Snow died (various illnesses), 1999 (was 85)

December 21:

Freddie Hart born in Lockapoke, Alabama, 1926 (now 82)
Lee Roy Parnell born in Abilene, Texas, 1956 (now 52)
Christy Forrester of the Forester Sisters born in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, 1962 (now 46)
Vito Pellettieri born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1889 (died 1977)
Harold Morrison died (illness), 1994 (was 62)

December 22:

Red Stegall born in Gainesville, Texas, 1937 (now 71)
Chuck Mead of BR5-49 born in Nevada, Missouri, 1960 (now 48)
Paul Martin of Exile born in Winchester, Kentucky, 1962 (now 46)
Harold "Hawkshaw" Hawkins born in Huntington, West Virginia, 1921 (died 1963)
Dave Dudley died (heart attack), 2003 (was 75)

December 24:

Lulu Belle Wiseman born in Boone, North Carolina, 1913 (died 1999)
Jake Hess born in Limestone County, Alabama, 1927 (died 2004)
Stoney Edwards born in Seminole, Oklahoma, 1929 (died 1997)
Charlie Moore died (illness), 1979 (was 44)

December 25:

Jimmy Buffett born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, 1946 (now 62)
Barbara Mandrell born in Houston, Texas, 1948 (now 60)
Steve Wariner born in Noblesville, Indiana, 1954 (now 54)
Alton Delmore born in Elkmont, Alabama, 1908 (died 1964)
Billy Nelson, Willie Nelson's son, died (suicide), 1991 (was 33)

December 26:

Ronnie Prophet born in Calument, Quebec, 1938 (now 70)
Audrey Wiggins born in Asheville, North Carolina, 1967 (now 41)
Beecher Ray "Pete" "Bashful Brother Oswald" Kirby born in Sevier County, Tennessee, 1911 (died 2002)
Harry Choates born in Rayne, Louisiana, 1911 (died 1951)
Jimmie Osborne died (suicide), 1957 (was 34)

December 27:

Scotty Moore born in Gadsden, Tennessee, 1931 (now 77)
Bob Luman died (pneumonia), 1978 (was 41)
Vestal Goodman died (complications from the flu), 2003 (was 74)
Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland died (staph infection), 2004 (was 74)

December 28:

Joe Diffie born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1958 (now 50)
Mike McGuire of Shenandoah born in Haleyville, Alabama, 1958 (now 50)
Marty Roe of Diamond Rio born in Lebanon, Ohio, 1960 (now 48)
Dorsey Burnette born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1932 (died 1979)
Hank Williams Jr.'s first recording session at age 14, 1963

December 29:

Rose Lee Maphis born in Baltimore, Maryland, 1922 (now 86)
Ed Bruce born in Keiser, Arkansas, 1940 (now 68)

December 30:

Suzy Bogguss born in Aledo, Illinois, 1956 (now 52)
Melvin Goins born in Bramwell, West Virginia, 1933 (now 75)
Mike Auldridge born in Washington, DC, 1938 (now 69)
Bob Ferguson born in Willow Spring, Missouri, 1927 (died 2001)
Skeeter Davis born in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, 1931 (died 2004)
John Hartford born in New York, New York, 1937 (died 2001)

December 31:

Dale Noe born in New Boston, Ohio, 1927 (died 2005)
Rex Allen Sr. born in Wilcox, Arizona, 1920 (died 1999)
John Denver born in Roswell, New Mexico, 1943 (died 1997)
Rick Nelson died (plane crash), 1985 (was 45)
Floyd Cramer died (lung cancer), 1997 (was 64)
Jim McReynolds of Jim & Jesse died (cancer), 2002 (was 75)
Charlie Louvin injured in car accident, 2001