Dates of Note in Country Music, May 16-31

Category: News

Country Music Hall of Famers in bold

May 16:

Rick Trevino born in Austin, Texas, 1971 (now 39)
Laura Lee Owens, the "Queen of Western Swing," born in Kansas City, Missouri, 1920 (died 1989)

May 17:

Penny DeHaven born in Winchester, Virginia, 1948 (now 62)
Pat Flynn of the New Grass Revival born in Los Angeles, California, 1952 (now 58)
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 74)
Rodney Dillard of the Dillards born in East St. Louis, Illinois, 1942 (now 68)
Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1948 (now 62)
Gary Scruggs born in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1949 (now 61)
George Strait born in Poteet, Texas, 1952 (now 58)

May 19:

Martha Carson born in Neon, Kentucky, 1921 (died 2004)
Rex Gosdin born in Woodland, Alabama, 1938 (died 1983)
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.
Jack Cash, brother of Johnny Cash, died (chain saw accident), 1944 (was 15)

May 21:

Henry Glover born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1921 (died 1991). The R&B songwriter and pioneering black record company executive co-wrote "Blues, Stay Away From Me" with the Delmore Brothers and Wayne Raney in 1949.
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 84)
Buddy Alan born in Mega, Arizona, 1948 (now 62)
Rich Alves of Pirates of the Mississippi born in Pleasanton, California, 1953 (now 57)
Dana Williams of Diamond Rio born in Dayton, Ohio, 1961 (now 49)
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 85)
Ken Irwin, co-founder of Rounder Records, born in New York, New York, 1944 (now 66)
Misty Morgan born in Buffalo, New York, 1945 (now 65)
Shelley West born in Cleveland, Ohio, 1958 (now 52)
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 63)
Rosanne Cash born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1955 (now 55)
Billy Gilman born in Westerly, Rhode Island, 1988 (now 22). 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)
Vivian Liberto died (cancer), 2005 (was 71). Vivian was Johnny Cash's first wife and Rosanne Cash's mother.
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 74)
Jessi Colter born in Phoenix, Arizona, 1947 (now 63)
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)
Dick Curless died (stomach cancer), 1995 (was 63)

May 26:

Levon Helm of the Band born in Marvell, Arkansas, 1940 (now 70). 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 61)
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.
The first International Country Music Conference held in Meridian, Mississippi, 1983. The three-day event began as a memorial to Jimmie Rodgers and coincides with the anniversary of his death.

May 27:

Don Williams born in Floydada, Texas, 1939 (now 71). Don is one of the four "class of 2010" inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
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 65). 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 54)
Phil Vassar born in Lynchburg, Virginia, 1965 (now 45)
Gary Stewart born in Jenkins, Kentucky, 1945 (died 2003)

May 29:

Carl Story born in Lenoir, North Carolina, 1916 (died 1995)
Mother Maybelle and the Carter Family become members of the Grand Ole Opry, 1950
Hank and Audrey Williams divorced, 1952

May 30:

Mike Snider born in Gleason, Tennessee, 1960 (now 50)
Lewis Crook of the Crook Brothers born in Trousdale County, Tennessee, 1909 (died 1996)
Karl Davis of Karl & Harty died (cancer), 1979 (was 73)
Bobby Harden of the Harden Trio died (unknown cause), 2006 (was 70)

May 31:

Vic Willis of the Willis Brothers born in Schulter, Oklahoma, 1922 (died 1995)
Johnny Paycheck born in Greenfield, Ohio, 1938 (died 2003)
William "Red" Rector died (heart attack), 1990 (was 60)