Dates of Note in Country Music, January 16-31

Category: News

Hall of Fame members in bold

January 16:

Ronnie Milsap born in Robbinsville, North Carolina, 1943 (now 66)
Jim Stafford born in Eloise, Florida, 1944 (now 65)
Sandy Pinkard of Pinkard & Bowden born in Abbeville, Louisiana, 1947 (now 62)
Roy Lanham of the Sons of the Pioneers born in Corbin, Kentucky, 1923 (died 1991)
Ruby Falls born in Jackson, Tennessee, 1946 (died 1986)
Dizzy Dean born in Lucas, Arkansas, 1910 (died 1974). The legendary baseball player is credited with dubbing Roy Acuff "King of Country Music."
Bill Monroe seriously injured in a car wreck, 1953. Monroe was away from performing for six months while recovering.

January 17:

Amanda Wilkinson of the Wilkinsons born in Belleville, Ontario, 1982 (now 27)
Steve Earle born in Fort Monroe, Virginia, 1955 (now 54)
Walter Bailes of the Bailes Brothers born in Kanawha County, West Virginia, 1920 (died 2000)
Grady Martin born in Marshall County, Tennessee, 1929 (died 2001)
Cliffie Stone died (heart attack), 1998 (was 80)
Frank "Hylo" Brown died (natural causes), 2003 (was 81)
The street in front of Graceland renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard," 1972

January 18:

Bobby Edwards born in Aniston, Alabama, 1926 (now 83)
Hargus "Pig" Robbins born in Spring City, Tennessee, 1938 (now 71)
Mark Collie born in Waynesboro, Tennessee, 1956 (now 53)
Linda Parker of the Cumberland Ridge Runners born in Covington, Kentucky, 1912 (died 1935)
Eddie Hill died (long-term illness), 1994 (was 74)

January 19:

Oscar Sullivan born in Edmonton, Kentucky, 1919 (now 90)
Stu Phillips born in Montreal, Quebec, 1933 (now 76)
Phil Everly born in Chicago, Illinois, 1939 (now 70)
Dolly Parton born in Locast Ridge, Tennessee, 1946 (now 63)
Stephanie Davis born in Bridger, Montana, 1958 (now 51)
Dennie Crouch of the Nashville Bluegrass Band born in Strawberry, Arkansas, 1967 (now 42)
Leo Soileau born in Ville Platte, Louisiana, 1904 (died 1980)
Ken Nelson born in Caledonia, Minnesota, 1911 (died 2008)
Ralph Peer died (unknown cause), 1960 (was 67)
Vic McAlpin died (unknown cause), 1980 (was 61)
Carl Perkins died (stroke), 1998 (was 65)


January 20:

Slim Whitman born in Tampa, Florida, 1924 (now 85). In 2008, Whitman was incorrectly listed as deceased the day after his birthday.
John Michael Montgomery born in Danville, Kentucky, 1965 (now 44)
George Burns born in New York, New York, 1896 (died 1996). The legendary comedian and actor had a top 20 country song in 1980 with "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again."

January 21:

Mac Davis born in Lubbock, Texas, 1942 (now 67)
Jim Ibbottson of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1947 (now 62)
Huddie "Leadbelly" Leadbetter born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, 1889 (died 1949). The year of Leadbelly's birth is open for debate, as is the actual day, with numerous sources citing January 20, January 21, or January 23, and years of 1888 or 1889.
Cedric Rainwater died (heart attack), 1970 (was 56)
Jim Anglin died (cancer), 1987 (was 73)
Colonel Tom Parker died (stroke), 1997 (was 87). In addition to Elvis, Parker managed Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, and Minnie Pearl early in their careers.
Patsy Cline appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and won the talent show,1957

January 22:

Teddy Gentry of Alabama born in Fort Payne, Alabama, 1952 (now 57)
J.P. Pennington of Exile born in Berea, Kentucky, 1949 (now 60)
Dickie McBride of Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers born in New Baden, Texas, 1914 (died 1971)
Jimmy Day died (cancer), 1999 (was 65)
Janette Carter, the last surviving member of the Carter Family, died (Parkinson's disease/illness), 2006 (was 82)

January 23:

Etta May born in Bald Knob, Arkansas, 1962 (now 47)
Johnny Russell born in Sunflower County, Mississippi, 1940 (died 2001)
T. Texas Tyler died (cancer), 1972 (was 55)
Art Stamper (fiddler in the Clinch Mountain Boys) died (throat cancer), 2005 (was 71)
The Winter Dance Party begins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1959. Three of the headliners, Buddy Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and Richie Valens, would die 11 days later.

January 24:

Doug Kershaw born in Tiel Ridge, Louisiana, 1936 (now 73)
Jack Scott born in Windsor, Ontario, 1936 (now 71)
Ray Stevens born in Clarksdale, Georgia, 1939 (now 70)
Becky Hobbs born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 1950 (now 59)
Keech Rainwater of Lonestar born in Plano, Texas, 1963 (now 46)
Shot Jackson died (complications of stroke), 1991 (was 70)
Justin Tubb died (aortic aneurysm), 1998 (was 62)

January 25:

Claude Gray born in Henderson, Texas, 1932 (now 77)
Rusty Draper born in Kirksville, Missouri, 1923 (died 2003)
Speedy West born in Springfield, Missouri, 1924 (died 2003)
Cactus Jack Call died (car wreck), 1963. A benefit concert for him five weeks later was the final performances by Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Cowboy Copas.

January 26:

James O'Gwynn born in Winchester, Mississippi, 1928 (now 81)
Dave Rowland of Dave & Sugar born in Sanger, California, 1942 (now 67)
Lucinda Williams born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, 1953 (now 56)
Clayton McMichen born in Allatoona, Georgia, 1900 (died 1970)
Goebel Reeves died (heart attack), 1959 (was 59)
Hillary Clinton disparagingly invoked Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" during an interview, 1992

January 27:

Buddy Emmons born in Mishawaka, Indiana, 1937 (now 72)
Lee Carroll of Exile born in Glasgow, Kentucky, 1953 (now 56)
Cheryl White of the Whites born in Wichita Falls, Texas, 1955 (now 54)
Richard Young of the Kentucky Headhunters born in Glasgow, Kentucky, 1955 (now 54)
Tracy Lawrence born in Atlanta, Texas, 1968 (now 41)
Joe Callahan of the Callahan Brothers born in Madison County, North Carolina, 1910 (died 1971)
Claude Akins died (cancer), 1994 (was 67). Among the actor's roles was Sonny on the TV series Movin' On, which featured the title song performed by Merle Haggard.

January 28:

Bill Phillips born in Canton, North Carolina, 1936 (now 72)
Greg Cook of Ricochet born in Vian, Oklahoma, 1965 (now 44)
Skeeter Willis died (lymph cancer), 1976 (was 58)
Al Dexter died (heart attack), 1984 (was 78)
Jimmy Fortune joins the Statler Brothers, 1982

January 29:

Patsy Sledd born in Falcon, Missouri, 1944 (now 65)
Irlene Mandrell of the Mandrell Sisters born in Corpus Christi, Texas, 1957 (now 52)
Lloyd Perryman of the Sons of the Pioneers born in Ruth, Arkansas, 1917 (died 1977)
Little Jimmy Sizemore born in Paintsville, Kentucky, 1928 (died 1985)

January 30:

Jeanne Pruett born in Pell City, Alabama, 1937 (now 72)
Norma Jean ("Pretty Miss Norma Jean") born in Wellston, Oklahoma, 1938 (now 71)
Harold Morrison born in High Lonesome, Missouri, 1931 (died 1993)
Melvin Endsley born in Drasco, Arkansas, 1934 (died 2004)
Ott Devine died (unknown cause), 1994 (was 83)

January 31:

Lynwood Lunsford of Lost & Found born in Roxboro, North Carolina, 1962 (now 47)
Warren Smith died (heart attack), 1981 (was 47)