Dates of Note in Country Music, May 1-15

Category: News

Country Music Hall of Famers in bold

May 1:

Sonny James (ne James Loden) born in Hackleburg, Alabama, 1929 (now 81)
Rita Coolidge born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1944 (now 66). Although primarily a pop singer, Coolidge had a dozen songs chart in country. She is also the former wife of Kris Kristofferson.
Wayne Hancock born in Dallas, Texas, 1965 (now 45)
Tim McGraw born in Delhi, Louisiana, 1967 (now 43)
Sam McGee born in Williamson County, Tennessee, 1894 (died 1975)
Jimmy Gately born in Springfield, Missouri, 1931 (died 1985)
Ott Devine born in Gadsen, Alabama, 1910 (died 1994)
Spike Jones died (emphysema), 1965 (was 53). The novelty band leader recorded "Pal-Yat-Chee" with Homer and Jethro, and Red Ingle (of Red Ingle & Natural Seven, of "Temp-Tay-Shun" fame) was once a member of Jones' City Slickers.
Jim Hager of the Hager Twins died (heart attack), 2008 (was 66)
Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu, 1967
A six-inch rainstorm hit Nashville, flooding the Grand Ole Opry House, the Opryland Hotel, the WSM-AM studios, the basement of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Wildhorse Saloon, the instrument storage business Soundcheck, and a number of country singers' homes, 2010. The two-day total rainfall would surpass 13 inches and kill nearly two dozen.

May 2:

R.C. Bannon born in Dallas, Texas, 1945 (now 65)
Larry Gatlin born in Seminole, Texas, 1948 (now 62)
Ty Herndon born in Meridian, Mississippi, 1962 (now 48)
Roy Lee Centers of the Clinch Mountain Boys died (shot during a bar fight), 1974 (was 29)
"Slowly" by Webb Pierce hits #1 on the Billboard charts, 1954. It becomes the first #1 song to feature the pedal steel guitar.

May 3:

Jerry Chestnut born in Harlan County, Kentucky, 1931 (now 79)
Cactus Moser of Highway 101 born in Montrose, Colorado, 1957 (now 53)
Bing Crosby born in Tacoma, Washington, 1903 (died 1977). The pop crooner has the distinction of being the performer of the first #1 single in Billboard magazine's "Hillbilly and Western Singles" history with his rendition of Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama." Dexter's own recording was the second #1 song.
Dave Dudley born in Spencer, Wisconsin, 1928 (died 2003)
Patsy Montana died (unknown cause), 1996 (was 83)
Dollywood theme park opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, 1986

May 4:

Stella Parton born in Sevierville, Tennessee, 1949 (now 61)
Robert Ellis Orrall born in Winthrop, Massachusetts, 1955 (now 55)
Randy Travis born in Marshville, North Carolina, 1959 (now 51)
Al Dexter (ne Clarence Albert Poindexter) born in Jacksonville, Texas, 1902 (died 1984)
Bobby Austin born in Wenatchee, Washington, 1933 (died 2002)
Joe L. Frank died (illness), 1952 (was 52)
Leo Jackson died (suicide [gunshot]), 2008 (was 73)

May 5:

Ace Cannon born in Grenada, Mississippi, 1934 (now 76)
Roni Stoneman born in Washington, DC, 1938 (now 72)
Glen Duncan of Lonesome Standard Time born in Columbus, Indiana, 1955 (now 55)
Tammy Wynette born in Itawamba County, Mississippi, 1942 (died 1998)
J.D. Miller born in Iota, Louisiana, 1922 (died 1996)
Jerry Wallace died (congestive heart failure), 2008 (was 79)

May 6:

Jimmie Dale Gilmore born in Austin, Texas, 1945 (now 65)
Cliff Carlisle born in Taylorsville, Kentucky, 1904 (died 1983)

May 7:

Lorie Collins of the Collins Kids born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, 1942 (now 68)
Riley Puckett born in Alpharetta, Georgia, 1894 (died 1946)
Horace "Aytchie" Burns born in Cisco, Georgia, 1918 (died 1974). Aytchie, the older brother of Jethro Burns, was a bass player at WNOX, in the Stringdusters with his brother and Homer Haynes, and at the Renfro Valley Barn Dance. While in the Army he was also the platoon sergeant of Roger Miller.
Eddie Rabbitt died (cancer), 1998 (was 56)

May 8:

Homer Bailes of the Bailes Brothers born in Kanawha County, West Virginia, 1922 (now 88)
Jack Blanchard born in Buffalo, New York, 1942 (now 68)
Del Anthony Gray of Little Texas born in Hamilton, Ohio, 1968 (now 42)
Jimmie Tarlton of Darby & Tarlton born in Cheraw, South Carolina, 1892 (died 1979)
Benny Martin born in Sparta, Tennessee, 1928 (died 2001)
Rick Nelson born in Teaneck, New Jersey, 1940 (died 1985)
Leon Huff of the Light Crust Doughboys died (unknown cause), 1952 (was 39)
George D. Hay died (unknown cause), 1968 (was 72)
Eddy Arnold died (complications from a fall), 2008 (was 89)

May 9:

Richie Furay of Poco born in Yellow Springs, Ohio, 1944 (now 66)
Bobby Lewis born in Hodgenville, Kentucky, 1946 (now 64)
Fuzzy Knight born in Fairmont, West Virginia, 1901 (died 1976). The actor appeared in several films as Tex Ritter's sidekick.
Hank Snow born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1914 (died 1999)
Nudie Cohen died (unknown cause), 1984 (was 81)
Keith Whitley died (alcohol poisoning), 1989 (was 33)
Jimmie Davis elected governor of Louisiana, 1944

May 10:

Carl T. Sprague born in Houston, Texas, 1895 (died 1979)
Mother Maybelle Carter born in Nicklesville, Virginia, 1909 (died 1979)
Shel Silverstein died (heat attack), 1999 (was 68)

May 11:

Mark Herndon of Alabama born in Springfield, Massachusetts, 1955 (now 55)
Bob Atcher born in West Point, Kentucky, 1914 (died 1993)
Lester Flatt died (heart failure), 1979 (was 64)

May 12:

Kix Brooks born in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1955 (now 55)
The Duke of Paducah, Benjamin "Whitey" Ford, born in DeSoto, Missouri, 1901 (died 1986)
Joe Maphis born in Suffolk, Virginia, 1921 (died 1986)
W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel died (unknown cause), 1969 (was 79)

May 13:

Johnnie Wright born in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, 1914 (now 96)
Ray Kennedy born in Buffalo, New York, 1954 (now 56)
Lari White born in Dunedin, Florida, 1965 (now 45)
Jack Anglin born in Columbia, Tennesee, 1916 (died 1963)
Gid Tanner died (unknown cause), 1960 (was 74)
Bob Wills died (pneumonia/complications of 1973 stroke), 1975 (was 70)

May 15:

K.T. Oslin born in Crossett, Arkansas, 1941 (now 69)
Eddy Arnold born in Henderson, Tennessee, 1918 (died 2008)
June Carter Cash died (complications from open heart surgery), 2003 (was 73)