Dates of Note in Country Music, July 16-31

Category: News

Country Music Hall of Famers in bold

July 16:
Ronny Robbins born in Phoenix, Arizona, 1949 (now 61)
Jo Stafford died (congestive heart failure), 2008 (was 90). The pop singer also did country, including appearing on Red Ingle & Natural Seven's hit "Tem-Tay-Shun."
Harry Chapin died (heart attack resulting in car wreck), 1981 (was 38). Chapin, a folk music icon, wrote "Cat's in the Cradle," which scored Ricky Skaggs one of his last country hits.

July 17:
Woodrow Wilson "Red" Sovine born in Charleston, West Virginia, 1918 (died 1980)
Harry Choates died (head injury), 1951 (was 29)
Dizzy Dean died (heart attack), 1974 (was 63). Dizzy was credited with giving Roy Acuff the nickname "King of Country Music."
Don Rich died (motorcycle accident), 1974 (was 32)
Wynn Stewart died (heart attack), 1985 (was 51)
Ozark Jubilee debuts on KWTO radio, 1954

July 18:
Ricky Skaggs born in Cordell, Kentucky, 1954 (now 56)
Mark Jones of Exile born in Harlan, Kentucky, 1954 (now 56)

July 19:
George Hamilton IV born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1937 (now 73)
Sue Thompson born in Nevada, Missouri, 1926 (now 84)
Bernie Leadon of the Eagles and the Flying Burrito Brothers born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1947 (now 63)
William "Lefty" Frizzell died (stroke), 1975 (was 47)

July 20:
Thomas "Sleepy" LaBeef born in Smackover, Arkansas, 1935 (now 75)
T.G. Sheppard born in Humbolt, Tennessee, 1942 (now 68)
Radney Foster born in Del Rio, Texas, 1959 (now 51)
Joseph Emmett "J.E." Mainer born in Weaverville, North Carolina, 1898 (died 1971)
Cindy Walker born near Mart, Texas, 1918 (died 2006)

July 21:
Sara Carter of the Carter Family born in Wise County, Virginia, 1899 (died 1979)
Eddie Hill born in Delano, Tennessee, 1921 (died 1994)

July 22:
Margaret Whiting born in Detroit, Michigan, 1924 (now 86). Although primarily a pop singer, Whiting had a series of duets with Jimmy Wakely in the 40s and 50s.
Don Henley of the Eagles born in Gilmer, Texas, 1947 (now 63). In addition to the Eagles, Henley was in a band, Shiloh, in the late 60s with Richard Bowden (later of Pinkard and Bowden) and Jim Ed Norman.
Bob Ferguson died (cancer), 2001 (was 73)
Jack Lynn, son of Loretta Lynn, died (drowned), 1984 (was 34)
Ralph S. Peer arrived in Bristol to make recordings for RCA, 1927

July 23:
Alison Krauss born in Decatur, Illinois, 1971 (now 39)
Johnny Darrell born in Hopewell, Alabama, 1940 (died 1997)

July 24:
Donald "Red" Blanchard of the WLS National Barn Dance born in Pittsville, Wisconsin, 1914 (died 1980)
Lawton Williams born in Troy, Tennessee, 1922 (died 2007)
Max D. Barnes born in Hardscratch, Iowa, 1936 (died 2004)

July 25:
Roy Acuff Jr. born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1943 (now 67)
Marty Brown born in Maceo, Kentucky, 1965 (now 45)
Walter Brennan born in Swmapscott, Massachusetts, 1894 (died 1974). The actor scored a major country hit with "Old Rivers" in 1962.
Steve Goodman born in Chicago, Illinois, 1948 (died 1984)
Tommy Duncan died (heart attack), 1967 (was 56)
Charlie Rich died (blood clot in lung), 1995 (was 62)

July 26:
Jim Foglesong born in Lundale, West Virginia, 1922 (now 88)
Fred Foster born in Rutherford County, North Carolina, 1931 (now 79)

July 27:
Bill Engvall born in Galveston, Texas, 1957 (now 53)
Bobbie Gentry born in Chickasaw, Mississippi, 1944 (now 66)
Henry "Homer" Haynes born in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1920 (died 1971)

July 28:
Frank Loesser died (lung cancer), 1969 (was 59). The composer was the "victim" of Homer and Jethro's first major hit, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," in 1949 (which featured a young June Carter singing the female part). Although RCA officials worried about Loesser's reaction, Loesser loved the parody and only asked that the songwriter credit read, "With apologies to Frank Loesser."

July 29:
Martina McBride born in Sharon, Kansas, 1966 (now 44)
Pete Drake died (lung disease), 1988 (was 55)
Anita Carter died (unknown cause), 1999 (was 66)

July 30:
Sam Phillips died (respiratory failure), 2003 (was 80)

July 31:
Bonnie Brown of the Browns born in Sparkman, Arkansas, 1937 (now 73)
Jim Reeves died (plane crash), 1964 (was 40)
Dean Manuel died (plane crash), 1964 (was 35)