Dates of Note in Country Music, March 1-15

Category: News

(Country Music Hall of Famers in bold)

March 1:

Janis Oliver of Sweethearts of the Rodeo born in Manhattan Beach, California, 1954 (now 56)
Sara Hickman born in Jacksonville, North Carolina, 1963 (now 47)
Clinton Gregory born in Martinsville, Virginia, 1966 (now 44)
Cliffie Stone born in Stockton, California, 1917 (died 1998)
Pearl Butler died (unknown cause), 198 (was 61)
Johnny Cash wed June Carter Smith Nix in Franklin, Kentucky, 1968
California governor Ronald Reagan issues a full pardon to Merle Haggard, 1972
RCA Victor debuts a new format -- the 45 RPM record, 1949

March 2:

Doc Watson born in Deep Gap, North Carolina, 1923 (now 87)
Larry Stewart born in Paducah, Kentucky, 1959 (now 51)
Lonnie Glosson died (natural causes), 2001 (was 93)

March 3:

John Carter Cash born in Madison, Tennessee, 1970 (now 40)Jimmy Heap born in Taylor, Texas, 1922 (died 1977)
Kyle Bailes died (unknown cause), 1996 (was 80)
Harlan Howard died (heart attack), 2002 (was 74)
Ernie Ashworth died (heart attack), 2009 (was 80)
Benefit concert for DJ "Cactus" Jack Call held in Kansas City, Missouri, 1963. Among those performing: Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, George Jones, and Billy Walker.

March 4:

Betty Jack Davis born in Corbin, Kentucky, 1932 (died 1953)
John Duffey of the Country Gentlemen and Seldom Scene born in Washington, DC, 1934 (died 1996)
Scotty Stoneman died (overdose of prescription medication), 1973 (was 40)
Minnie Pearl died (complications from stroke), 1996 (was 83)
Eddie Dean died (emphysema), 1999 (was 91)

March 5:

Raymond Fairchild born in Cherokee, North Carolina, 1939 (now 71)
Jimmy Bryant born in Moultrie, Georgia, 1925 (died 1980)
Patsy Cline died (plane crash), 1963 (was 30)
Cowboy Copas died (plane crash), 1963 (was 59)
Hawkshaw Hawkins died (plane crash), 1963 (was 41)
Randy Hughes died (plane crash), 1963 (was 34). Hughes was Patsy Cline's manager and Cowboy Copas' son-in-law as well as the pilot of the ill-fated plane.
Syd Nathan died (heart disease), 1968 (was 63). The Cincinnati record store owner founded King Records in 1943, making it the first all-country music record label in history.
Anna Carter Davis, original member of the Chuck Wagon Gang and widow of Jimmie Davis, died (complications following a fall), 2004 (was 87)
Elvis Presley honorably discharged from the Army, 1960

March 6:

Red Simpson born in Higley, Arizona, 1934 (now 76)
Ray Walker of the Jordanaires born in Centerville, Mississippi, 1934 (now 76)
Doug Dillard of the Dillards born in East St. Louis, Missouri, 1937 (now 73)
Skip Ewing born in Red Lands, California, 1964 (now 46)Cliff Carlisle born in Mount Eden, Kentucky, 1904 (died 1983)
Bob Wills born in Turkey, Texas, 1905 (died 1975)
Jean Chapel of the Coon Creek Girls born in Neon, Kentucky, 1925 (died 1995)George Jones critically injured in single-vehicle accident, 1999
The siege of the Alamo ended, 1836. Davy Crockett, subject of legendary song, was among those who died during the battle. Johnny Cash would memorialize the fight in his song "Remember the Alamo."

March 7:

Townes Van Zandt born in Fort Worth Texas, 1944 (died 1997)
Jack Anglin died (car wreck), 1963 (was 46). Anglin was on his way to Patsy Cline's memorial service at the time of his accident.
Pee Wee King died (heart attack), 2000 (was 86)

March 8:
Jimmy Dormire of Confederate Railroad born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1960 (now 50)
Randy Meisner of Poco and the Eagles born in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, 1946 (now 64)
Johnny Dollar born in Kilgore, Texas, 1933 (died 1986)
Jimmy Stoneman of the Stoneman Family born in Washington, DC, 1937 (died 2002)
Lew DeWitt of the Statler Brothers born in Roanoke, Virginia, 1939 (died 1990)
Stuart Hamblen died (brain tumor), 1989 (was 80)
Hank Locklin died (natural causes), 2009 (was 90)

March 9:

Mickey Gilley born in Natchez, Mississippi, 1936 (now 74)
Jimmy Fadden of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band born in Long Beach, California, 1948 (now 62)
Ralph Sloan of the Ralph Sloan Dancers born in Wilson County, Tennessee, 1925 (died 1980)
George Burns died (natural causes), 1996 (was 100). The legendary actor had a country hit with "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again."
Chris LeDoux died (bile duct cancer), 2005 (was 56)
Final Saturday night Opry at the Ryman before the opening of the new Opry House, 1974

March 10:

Ralph Emery born in McEwen, Tennessee, 1933 (now 77)
Norman Blake born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1938 (now 72)Johnnie Allan born in Rayne, Louisiana, 1938 (now 72)
Daryl Singletary born in Wigham, Georgia, 1971 (now 39)
Kenneth "Jethro" Burns born in Conasauga, Tennessee, 1920 (died 1989)
Soul singer James Brown guests on the Grand Ole Opry at the request of Porter Wagoner, 1979

March 11:

Jimmy Fortune of the Statler Brothers born in Williamsburg, Virginia, 1955 (now 55)
W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel of the Light Crust Doughboys born in Malta, Ohio, 1890 (died 1969)
Jim Boyd of the Cowboy Ramblers died (unknown cause), 1993 (was 78)

March 12:

Marshall Wilborn of the Johnson Mountain Boys and the Lynn Morris Band born in Austin, Texas, 1952 (now 58)
James Taylor born in Belmont, Massachusetts, 1948 (now 62). The legendary pop/folk superstar wrote "Bartender's Blues" and sang with George Jones on Jones' recording of the tune.
Ralph Sloan died (unknown illness), 1980 (was 55)

March 13:

Liz Anderson born in Roseau, Minnesota, 1930 (now 80)
Jan Howard born in West Plains, Missouri, 1930 (now 80)
Benny Martin died (nerve disorder/illness), 2001 (was 72)
Ezra Carter marries Maybelle Addington, 1926

March 14:

Michael Martin Murphy born in Oak Cliff, Texas, 1945 (now 65)
Doc Pomus died (lung cancer), 1991 (was 65)
Dale Potter died (cancer), 1996 (was 66)
Tommy Collins died (emphysema), 2000 (was 69)
Jimmy Martin died (cancer), 2005 (was 77)
Bill Bolick of the Blue Sky Boys died (natural causes), 2008 (was 90)

March 15:
D.J. Fontana born in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1931 (now 79)
Gunilla Hutton of Hee Haw born in Goteborg, Sweden, 1946 (now 64)
Ry Cooder born in Los Angeles, California, 1947 (now 63)
Carl Smith born in Maynardville, Tennessee, 1927 (died 2010)
The final Friday night Opry at the Ryman, 1974. The final song was the Opry cast singing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."